by John Donvan
First published 2016
This comprehensive history traces autism from Donald Triplett's first diagnosis in Forest, Mississippi nearly seventy-five years ago to today's neurodiversity movement. Donvan chronicles the families who fought to liberate their children from institutions and secure educational rights. The book follows key figures like Ruth Sullivan, who challenged the medical establishment's "refrigerator mother" theory, and fathers who pushed for better treatments. It examines pioneering doctors like Leo Kanner, lawyers like Tom Gilhool who battled in courtrooms, and autism advocates like Temple Grandin, Alex Plank, and Ari Ne'eman. The authors explore major controversies including vaccine debates, facilitated communication scandals, and disagreements over seeking cures. They expose dark chapters like LSD experiments on autistic children and electric shock treatments. The book also reveals evidence that Hans Asperger participated in Nazi programs that killed disabled children. This history shows how ordinary people transformed society's understanding of autism and secured acceptance for those who are different.
Genres: biography-memoir, activism, academic, american-history
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: social-change, underdog
Setting: Forest, Mississippi
Period: 1940s, 1970s, 2000s
688 pages · Hardcover · Crown
Content warnings: ableism, medical-trauma