In a Different Key

The Story of Autism

By: John Donvan, Caren Zucker

Narrated by: Kaleo Griffith

PULITZER PRIZE FINALIST • NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “Sweeping in scope but with intimate personal stories, this is a deeply moving book about the history, science, and human drama of autism.”—Walter Isaacson, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Code Breaker

“Remarkable . . . A riveting tale about how a seemingly rare childhood disorder became a salient fixture in our cultural landscape.”—The Wall Street Journal (Ten Best Nonfiction Books of the Year)

The inspiration for the PBS documentary, In a Different Key

In 1938, Donald Triplett of Forest, Mississippi, became the first child diagnosed with autism. Beginning with his family’s odyssey, In a Different Key tells the extraordinary story of this often misunderstood condition, from the civil rights battles waged by the families of those who have it to the fierce debates among scientists over how to define and treat it.

Unfolding over decades, In a Different Key is a beautifully rendered history of people determined to secure a place in the world for those with autism—by liberating children from dank institutions, campaigning for their right to go to school, challenging expert opinion on what it means to have autism, and persuading society to accept those who are different.

This is also a story of fierce controversies—from the question of whether there is truly an autism “epidemic,” and whether vaccines played a part in it; to scandals involving “facilitated communication,” one of many unsuccessful treatments; to stark disagreements about whether scientists should pursue a cure for autism; to compelling evidence that Hans Asperger, discoverer of the syndrome named after him, participated in the Nazi program that consigned disabled children to death.

By turns intimate and panoramic, In a Different Key takes us on a journey from an era when families were shamed and children were condemned to institutions to one in which a cadre of people with autism push not simply for inclusion, but for a new understanding of autism: as difference rather than disability.

©2016 John Donvan and Caren Zucker (P)2016 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“Magnificent . . . Chock-full of suspense . . . This book does what no other on autism has done.”—The Washington Post (Best Books of the Year)

“Donvan and Zucker sensitively and accurately portray the emergence of understanding of this thing we now call autism, a story that goes back hundreds of years. They make a compelling case for autistic traits—gift and disability alike—being part of the human condition. In the words of child psychiatry pioneer Leo Kanner, autism was ‘always there,’ even before the diagnosis was invented.”—John Elder Robison, New York Times bestselling author of Look Me in the Eye

“The prose is vivid, the tempo rapid and the perspective intimate, as if . . . filmed with a hand-held camera.”—Jerome Groopman, The New York Times Book Review

An interesting angle on autism

Well written and narrated, this book is fascinating history of how autism and its treatments evolved in the fields of psychology and education. An overview with a good amount of detail the book includes stories conveying the experiences of individuals within the history.

Best overview of autism!!!

I have read many books on autism and this the best. A little too verbose at times but overview is great! The reader does an excellent job.

Great Story

loved the book. the time line at the end was helpful. wish there had been more about current research. the narrator mispronounced a few technical words.

Great book on the history of autism.

I feel I learned a lot. There's a significant amount of depth to the history of the autism spectrum and I feel this book very well covered it. I didn't know much about the disorder before reading this book, but now I feel I understand now.

Fact based History and shows how science works

The best biographies (or histories) are those which transcend the story that is being told. One does not even have to be interested in Autism to appreciate fully what the authors have done with this book. The arc of the story is tied together by how our understanding of the nature of Autism has changed from its early days until today and how complex it is to do science right.

The authors usually tell their history by focusing on particular characters and put them into the context of the time period. The science of the times at first (psychoanlytical theories) blame the moms ('refrigerator moms") or next with the behaviorist use 'cattle prods" or slapping for dealing with the autistic children. The moms (and dads) are some of the real heroes. They realized that the status quo was not acceptable and not effective. Pre-internet days they did what they could and organized and made a difference. Sometimes, we lose sight of the fact how important individuals can be in changing the accepted scientific norms. Kindness, understanding and patience turned out to be more effective strategies.

The labels (the definitions) we give determine how we understand. The authors step the listener through many different ways we thought about Autism and by doing that the listener gets a good understanding of what Autism means. I even understand why the DSM V has dropped the Asperger category and why it's best thought of as part of the Autism Spectrum. The authors are always neutral in their reporting of the facts and let the science speak for itself. They cover in detail why vaccines do not cause Autism, why some people can reasonably think about Autism as neurdiverse (v. neurotypical), and why there is probably no epidemic in the growth of Autism, and how important it was to educate the public about the reality of Autism through all means possible.

The book gives a good perspective on how and why we think about Autism the way we do today, and how science can be fluid but seems to have a self correcting mechanism (albeit sometimes acting at a snails pace) within it, and how individuals do make a difference even when they are not part of the scientific tribe.

Fantastic book!

I liked the book. I fo6nd it very informative. I'd listen to it again and I don't even know anyone with Autism.

Required listening

In my opinion, this should be required listening for any professional that works with people with autism, parents, and family members.

Must read for parents of kids with aistism

My son was diagnosed two years ago with autism and is in ABA therapy. I worried for his future, of course, and I am constantly reading and researching ways to help my son. This book's comprehensive approach saved me years of research. Not only did it present the story of autism in a conversational and captivating way- which was riveting- but it helped me to see my own son differently- a boy with a bright future ahead. This is a must-read for anyone struggling to understand, cope or plan for the future of a child with autism. The future is bright, my friends.

👏👏Fantastic!

A thorough and unbiased history of autism. I appreciate the time the authors spent researching, interviewing and taking the time to include all perspectives of the autism community. Incredibly well done.

Comprehensive & enlightening history on autism

It took me a chapter or two to get into this book and from there on, I found it completely interesting. My heart ached for what some parents have gone through, especially with the stigmas that were placed on them before the 1960's, when autism was even less understood. I was inspired by the courage of parents and professionals in their determination to understand what autism is. Understanding Autism is still in progress. I could say much more however I will simply tell you to listen to the book. If you are at all interested in autism, this book gives a comprehensive history on when Autism was first recognized, when it was named, mis-diagnosed, diagnosed, the search for the causes - from the past, all the way through the 20th century up until now.

The narrator had the perfect tone, pitch and speed for my easy listening. I recommended it.