Secret of the Wild Child

Synopsis: In 1970, social workers in Los Angeles took custody of a 13-year-old child, "Genie", who had spent much of her life chained to a potty chair in her bedroom. The 13-year-old girl, who had been locked in a room in social isolation for most of her life, was severely under-developed, unable to talk and barely able to walk. This film contains unforgettable footage of Genie, showing her progress, and reveals much about development during early childhood. When social workers uncovered her, they discovered a rare opportunity to explore the human capacity for language. Could she learn to communicate at such a late stage and would she be able to function normally? This programme accompanies doctors and analysts as they begin the long process of teaching what it means to be human.
Series: Nova, Series
Language: English
Country: United States
Year of release: 2008
Year of production: 1997
Documentation: Transcript available free online at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/transcripts/2112gchild.html
Subjects: Psychology
Keywords: child development; language development; social psychology

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Notes: NB. Uniview ceased trading at the end of July 2016. Some of the products previously distributed by them are available from Short Cuts TV: http://www.shortcutstv.com/

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British Universities Film & Video Council