In a Different Key

“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
 
“The book probes a difficult subject with intelligence and compassion. . . . The complete absence of hysteria will make it essential reading for many. . . . Its insights and quiet wisdom demand our attention, and gratitude.”—Amy Bloom, Oprah Daily
 
“Fascinating . . .  [In a Different Key] takes an accessible approach that sheds much light on this human condition . . . through the human stories of those raising autistic children, of those trying to treat, study and research it and those who are autistic.”—Seattle Times

“A fascinating and comprehensive history . . . In a Different Key shares the often debilitating aspects of autism yet shows how those with autism can and do flourish with the right supports and environments, and how their lives, and the lives of their families, are filled with joys and triumphs and fun and irreverence, too.”—Chicago Tribune

“In a Different Key is a story about autism as it has passed through largely American institutions, shaped not only by psychiatrists and psychologists but by parents, schools, politicians, and lawyers. It shows how, in turn, the condition acquired a powerful capacity both to change those institutions and to challenge our notions of what is pathological and what is normal.”—Steven Shapin, The New Yorker
 
“A fascinating history of this confounding condition.”—People
 
“Donvan and Zucker’s generous yet sharp-eyed portraits of men, women, and children—most of them unknown until now—make it stunningly clear that we all have a stake in the story of autism. We come to understand that we are all wired differently, and that how we treat those who are different than most is a telling measure of who we truly are. This is the kind of history that not only informs but enlarges the spirit.”—Susan Cain, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Bittersweet and Quiet