The ability to point to food, to point to work does not equate to language and communication. In psycholinguistics terms the time when a child CAN acquire a first language is called critical period. She missed the critical period for language. Her parents could likely point, gesture, and I BET could indicate when it was time to work. This is not language. A home sign system is not a language.
It's simple: a child who does not have adequate brain stimulation from birth to five suffers irreversible brain damage. The synapses in the brain atrophy. period.
It happens quite often. Again. this is what i do for a LIVING. 5 days a week for 15 years.
I've never taken quite this stubborn of a stand on something on the dog house before have I? I know what the consequences of language deprivation are. I worked with SEVERAL kids who had been deprived of language (not gestures, not pointing not home sign systems... LANGUAGE) during the critical period for linguistic development. Some had no sense of morality (like some kids with fetal alcohol syndrome). All were illiterate. Even after being exposed to formal (intensive) language training, ALL were severely cognitively and linguistically delayed. IT'S ABUSE.
Yes. what happened to the baby is heinous. It's terrible. Its horrible. If she is found to be mentally competent she should be punished in a prison. She should face the consequences of her actions. If she is not found mentally competent, she should be treated in a facility.
What happened to this young girl and THOUSANDS of other deaf kids is also heinous.
severely mentally retarded adults work across this country. They were farm workers. Being exploited does not indicate one has access to language and communication. without that one can NOT develop cognitively. It doesn't happen.
If she were hearing, and profoundly mentally retarded what would your reaction be?
PS. her parents didnt even know she was pregnant for God's sake.
Originally posted by micki76
I understand that she's from a poor family from Mexico. Which encompasses the majority of the nation. I work with poor people from Mexico all day. Most of them aren't hearing impaired and can't read or write Spanish or English. Mexico is a whole other world where many of the people can't even comprehend sign language or even education. For many Mexicans eating is more important, and it's a struggle just to do that every day.
Her family could obviously communicate with her, possibly in their own version of sign language. Obviously if she was working in Washington as a laborer, she has some capability of communication with someone.
I feel bad for her, but what she did (or attempted to do) is heinous.
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