Language Deprivation

“What surprised me most is how big the impact of language deprivation is on a child – it is literally life-changing. It alters the way the brain’s neural pathways form. As the adoptive mom of a child who suffered neglect as a baby, I know first hand the long-term effects of baby brains not getting enough stimulation. It hurt my heart to read about intelligent, engaged children who were so far behind in school because they were deprived of something so fundamentally necessary as language. A cute, funny story makes you feel all warm and fuzzy, then WHAM! The reality of being Deaf in a biased system assaults your sense of fairness and decency. It left me feeling sad and angry, but also hopeful. The world needs more writers, and teachers like Rachel.”