In a Different Key audiobook cover - The Story of Autism

In a Different Key

The Story of Autism

John Donvan and Caren Zucker

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In a Different Key
Early History & Dark Past+
The First Diagnosis+
Discovery & Blame Era+
Parent Activism+
Controversial Treatments & Myths+
Modern Understanding+

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 7
How were terms like 'defective', 'idiot', and 'moron' originally used in early twentieth-century American medicine?
  • A. As derogatory insults intended to humiliate and marginalize patients.
  • B. As purely clinical terms to indicate specific levels of abnormal cognitive function.
  • C. As legal classifications designed to justify the immediate execution of the mentally ill.
  • D. As temporary diagnoses for conditions that doctors believed could be easily cured with therapy.
Question 2 of 7
Who was Donald Triplett and why is he historically significant in the study of autism?
  • A. He was the doctor who wrote the first landmark paper defining autism in 1943.
  • B. He was the first recorded patient to be diagnosed with autism, known as 'Case 1'.
  • C. He was an activist who founded the National Society for Autistic Children.
  • D. He was the psychologist who developed the controversial Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA).
Question 3 of 7
What was the core premise of the 'refrigerator mother' theory popularized in the mid-twentieth century?
  • A. Autism is caused by a genetic mutation inherited exclusively from the mother's side of the family.
  • B. Autism develops when pregnant mothers are exposed to extreme environmental stressors.
  • C. Children withdraw into obsessive and antisocial behaviors as a coping mechanism for having a cold, uncaring mother.
  • D. Mothers of autistic children require specialized institutional therapy in order to properly bond with their offspring.
Question 4 of 7
What significant contribution did Ruth Sullivan make to the autism community in the 1960s?
  • A. She proved that autism had identifiable biological markers through extensive blood testing.
  • B. She developed a new form of therapy that completely replaced Ivar Lovaas's controversial methods.
  • C. She rejected mother-blaming theories and helped found an organization to advocate for autistic children's rights and education.
  • D. She directed a residential treatment facility that claimed to cure autistic children by separating them from their parents.
Question 5 of 7
Why do modern critics sometimes object to Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) as a treatment for autism?
  • A. They argue it relies too heavily on unproven medications and dietary changes.
  • B. They claim it is akin to dog training and focuses primarily on making autistic children appear 'normal' by removing calming rituals.
  • C. They believe it encourages autistic individuals to become too isolated from society.
  • D. They state that it reinforces the debunked theory that bad parenting is the root cause of autism.
Question 6 of 7
What was the ultimate outcome of Andrew Wakefield's 1998 article suggesting a link between the MMR vaccine and autism?
  • A. The findings were widely duplicated, leading to a global shift in early childhood vaccination policies.
  • B. The article was largely ignored by the public but heavily praised by the medical community for its innovation.
  • C. The medical community concluded that only specific, outdated brands of the vaccine were harmful to children.
  • D. The research was discredited, the article was retracted, and Wakefield had his medical license revoked.
Question 7 of 7
According to the text, what makes diagnosing autism particularly complicated even today?
  • A. It lacks identifiable biological markers and must be diagnosed through careful behavioral observation.
  • B. It can only be accurately diagnosed if the patient exhibits highly specific savant-like abilities.
  • C. Medical professionals are legally restricted from giving a formal diagnosis until a child reaches adulthood.
  • D. The symptoms change so rapidly from day to day that it is impossible to establish consistent diagnostic criteria.

In a Different Key — Full Chapter Overview

In a Different Key Summary & Overview

In a Different Key (2016) takes you on a journey through the history of autism, from the first diagnosis to the different and often conflicting opinions about how it should be treated. These blinks also show us that those with autism have a powerful and important voice and that, despite numerous complexities and many unsolved mysteries, there is hope for a more compassionate future.

Who Should Listen to In a Different Key?

  • People interested in human rights and public policy
  • Specialists in child development and psychiatry
  • Family and friends of people with autism

About the Author: John Donvan and Caren Zucker

John Donvan is a journalist and Emmy Award-winning correspondent for ABC News. He’s been deeply interested in autism since learning about the many ways it has affected his wife’s family.

Caren Zucker is a journalist and Peabody Award-winning television producer for ABC’s World News and Nightline. Her life’s work took on new meaning when her oldest son was diagnosed with autism, which led to this book and her work on the PBS series Autism Now.

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