So I just watched ‘Secret of the Wild Child’, a film about Genie. This little kid was tied up in diapers to a ‘potty chair’ for the first 13 years of her life. Her mother and older brother were forbidden from talking to her or seeing her, and her father would growl at her and beat her if she made noise. If he remembered her at night, she’d be tied into a sleeping bag and kept in a metal cot. Sounds dreadful, ancient, before humanity was civilized, torturous? She was discovered in 1970. Less than a half century ago. When found, she couldn’t talk, could barely walk, and was easily mistaken for a 6 or 7 year old autistic child, as opposed to a new teenager. My psychology teacher lent me the DVD after a research task on her case, and it’s unbelievable. She’s 55 now, and still not well adapted, but after being found, although her carers wanted to help her, they also wanted to use her for scientific progress, especially surrounding the terminal age before it became impossible to learn a first language completely. They tried to teach her, but she could only develop so far, and after just 5 years, despite her high profile, her grant was dropped and she regressed in a series of inappropriate foster homes. There were major flaws in her care and care systems. Her case is as fascinating as it is unique, and I’d recommend anyone watching the video (available on youtube) just for how incredible her story really is, and how messed up people, and priorities, can be. 

(Source: sharpie-tattoos-and-coffee)