The case of a young girl named genie is the most carefully documented and well-studied instance of what happens to a child who does not experience adequate contact with other people during infancy and childhood. genie was locked in a room alone for nearly 13 years and never developed language skills the way most children do. obviously, this is a story in part of severe parental neglect, but it also provides insight into whether abilities like language are innate. fundamentally, this case about a feral child is about whether