Social Work Case Study Genie 1970

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1970, Genie was found by social workers in Los Angeles, California. She was severely abused which caused her to be extremely developmentally delayed. Although Genie was 13 when the social workers found her, they had believed she was between five or six years old due to her lack of development. From the age of 20 months until 13 years old, Genie had been locked in a dark room alone and tied to a potty chair. Some nights she was left in that position, others she was tied into a sleeping bag or to the side of her crib. She never was socialized or even spoken to by her parents. When Genie was found she could not walk correctly, eat properly, or speak in any language, except short phrases such as, 'stop it' and 'no more'. Genie was admitted into Children's Hospital in Los Angeles; where specialists started to take care of her and started to try and teach her how to speak. …show more content…

She had a way of reaching out without saying anything. Upon her initial arrival at UCLA, the team was met with a girl who weighed just 59 pounds and moved with a strange "bunny walk." She often spat and was unable to straighten her arms and legs. Silent, incontinent, and unable to chew, she initially seemed only able to recognize her own name and the word "sorry." Her silence and inability to use language made it difficult to assess her mental abilities, but on tests she scored at about the level of a one-year-old. She enjoyed going out on day trips outside of the hospital, and explored her new environment with an intensity that amazed her caregivers and strangers

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