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early life
Genie's life prior to her discovery was one of utter deprivation. She spent most of her days tied naked to a potty chair, only able to move her hands and feet. When she made noise, her father would beat her. The rare times her father did interact with her, it was to bark or growl. -
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Discovery and Study
A social worker discovered the 13-year old girl after her mother sought out services for her own health. A team of psychologists and language experts began the process of rehabilitating Genie. After assessing Genie's emotional and cognitive abilities, she scored at about the level of a one-year-old. She began to experience developmental progress but remained poor in areas such as language. -
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State Custody
NIMH withdrew funding in 1974, due to the lack of scientific findings. In 1975, Genie returned to live with her birth mother. When her mother found the task too difficult, Genie was moved through a series of foster homes, where she was often subjected to further abuse and neglect. Today, Genie Wiley's whereabouts are unknown; though, if she is still living, she is presumed to be a ward of the state of California, living in an adult care home. As of 2023, Genie would be 66 years old.