Did you know the first person to ever be diagnosed with autism lives in Mississippi? Don Triplett of Forest, now in his late 80s, was patient number one.

A new documentary, “In a Different Key,” by Caren Zucker (award-winning producer at ABC news) and John Donvan (journalist, broadcaster and debate moderator) debuts at the Oxford Film Festival and tells Triplett’s story along with a brief history of autism.

Some of the stars of the movie are the citizens of Forest, who show us all that it truly does take a village to show kindness and compassion to children and adults with autism. “In a Different Key” tells a powerful story and shows us a better way. It’s based on Zucker’s and Donvan’s Pulitzer-Finalist book of the same name.

To find out more about the movie, click here: www.inadifferentkeythemovie.com

View All Mississippi Stories with Marshall Ramsey

We want to hear from you!

Central to our mission at Mississippi Today is inspiring civic engagement. We think critically about how we can foster healthy dialogue between people who think differently about government and politics. We believe that conversation — raw, earnest talking and listening to better understand each other — is vital to the future of Mississippi. We encourage you to engage with us and each other on our social media accounts, email our reporters directly or leave a comment for our editor by clicking the button below.


Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.

Marshall Ramsey, a nationally recognized editorial cartoonist, shares his cartoons and travels the state as Mississippi Today’s Editor-At-Large. He’s also host of a weekly statewide radio program and a television program on Mississippi Public Broadcasting and is the author of several books. Marshall is a graduate of the University of Tennessee and a 2019 recipient of the University of Tennessee Alumni Professional Achievement Award.