Are the effects of privation reversible?

It depends on the age that they are found at

Genie - Beyond the sensitive period for language development, never recovered fully Czech Twins and Terezin children - found at 3 and 7 and made a miraculous recovery. BUT *they spent less time in privation*

It depends of the quality of care the children subsequently receive

Czech twins - went to special needs school, had very attentive adoptive care-givers = thrived Genie - Bounced between a year in hospital, living with therapist, conflicts of interest, foster parents, mother, abusive care homes = impacted on development

Limited number of case studies =

Difficult to conclude, unique, cannot be replicated to test for reliability and generalisability

Variables affecting the children themselves may affect their outcomes

Genie - possibly mentally retarded, however unclear due to fever at the time. However Curtiss argued that her pace of development during the first year indicated she did not have a learning difficulty Czech twins - Showed normal development prior to privation , may account for differences in development

It may depend on the presence of other children

Privation from a care-giver may be reduced by peer attachments as shown by the Czech Twins and the Terezin children. Genie was completely isolated, however.

Reversibility is difficult to determine due to a couple of factors

They are rare and involve confounding variables Was Genie inherently retarded? Did care before privation reduce the negative effects? is attachment to peers a protective factor? It is unknown whether privation is reversible for the 'average' privated child