preview

Genie the Wild Child Essay

Decent Essays

Genie, the second case of wild child was found in a room tied to a potty chair. Genie was kept in a room locked away because her father thought she was retarded at birth until the age of 13, when she was rescued by a social worker. She was locked away from normal civilization and any type of socialization, and she was beaten for making noises. Genie was an infant trapped in a 13 year old body, because she could only make infant like sounds and no words or sentences. Genie's brain waves were adnormal, but doctors believed that she could learn. They began teaching and trying to develop her brain through forming relationships. Genie begin to speak and say words; but they were difficult to understand. Genie progress gave doctors hope that she …show more content…

The hospital was against her becoming Genie's foster parent and the language doctor was denied. They found another doctor to Genie's foster parent. The doctor's family believed she needed alot of help and that she could learn. They taught her how to express her anger in fits and then verbally, instead of tearing at herself and hurting herself. Genie could put together small sentences like a child around the age of 1 or 2. She could now read simple sentences and express things about her past in sentences. Genie was learning her first language and began attending a nursery school. Victor progress slowed down and he never really learned to talk. Victor died in his 40's in 1828, Victor died without a happy ending. The doctors wanted Genie to have a better ending then Victor. They begin to teach Genie sign language, because they thought this was where doctors had fell with Victor. They could never determine if Genie was retarded at birth, but it was found that Genie was growing mentally after she was found. When the government stoped the funding for Genie the foster family gave her up and Genie reunited with her mother in 1975. Genie still could not put together sentences like a normal person of her age. After a while Genie's mother could not handle taking care of Genie, so back in foster care she went. While in foster care Genie endured mental and pyhsical abuse.

Get Access