Evening star., 1931-12-24
BETTERMENT SEEN
IN EDITH RILEY
BY Psychologist
Mrs. E. S. Eimore Says Con-
dii. ION Was Arrestment Due
to Sense Deprivation.
GIRL SPEAKS FLUEMTLY
AFTER HOSPITAL CARE
Mind Failed to Develop Because
of sensory Isolation in
Closet for Years.

Ill We llINt NtIllt'41 x WIG a'iN'''' VA N'iN
mental conoltion of l2-Year-0ld Edith
Riley, for whose incarceration IN a
closet her parents have been sentenced
to two years imprisonment, Mrs. Edith
Sutherland Elmorc. GallInger Hospital
psychologist declared godaT the child S
condition is an apparent mental ar
reStment with functional retardatlon.
Que to malnutritiOn ana isolation.
When first release d .ron the closet
she had almost lost her ability to use
language. responding with nlonosYlHDiaS
and gestures when question d. MIS-. II
more ASSERTED q. She !.OW talks HuHn'lE
in vel. cen trNct Il sentences. AT ilrSt
her vcice W&S harsh ana lacking IN nor
NAL modulatlon. as though She was not
accustomed to uslnC i. Il IS now an
entirely normal chIld'S voice
Deprivation of Senses.
The psychologist said that isolation
as used in the psychological sense re
fers TO the separation OF the lndlVldual
from the environment which occurs
with the derivation of two or more
OF the special senses. as In case CT
blindness and deafness occurring to-
gether"
The mind develops through the I'M
pression~ which these sensations convey
to the brain The child, left alone in
a dark and probably silent closet,
vould be deprived OF receiving SenSa-
tions through the eyes and ears. ms
could result in a S2nsory deprivation
similar to that Cccasioned by an actual
loss of the senses. This would result
in an apparent retardation which
might not. however. be permanent any
more than that of malnutritiOn.
of
retardation is permanent" Mrs. Elmore
said. will be learned as her future de-
yeOpment is watched.
Walks Nearly Normal.
Edith likewise had almost lost the
power of loComOtion,' the psychologist
continued The physicians eXamlna-
ton established the fact that this was
caused by muscular weakness, due to
disuSe The child gait is still not quite
normal but she now walks up and
down stairs and runs.
As she is able to express herself
In language We find she has reten-
tive memory l took her riding one day,
10 daVS after she reached the hOSpllal.
She would recognize and name almost
anything that was brought to her at
tention such as schools. bridges, boats
and even gas station
ECltl WOUlQ MAKE no response dC lIlS
when asked whether she had been
locked in a closet as charged by police,
according to Mrs. Elmore 1t was not
until five weeks after she had entered
the hospital that she spoke of her in
carCerauOn
ON this OCCASION" Mrs. ElmCre con-
tinued. Il told her that the Tune had
arrived when it was necessary to prove
whether or not she had been held cap
tive l treasured her again that she
would not return home and asked her II
she had been locked in the closet. She
nodded her head. l asked her if it vas
dark.
Day and Night Same.
She said: 'Ycs.' l asked whether
1t v.as da-!s,er III tho daytime Of &t
nic., and ahe sG.d o2.h were the ,am2.
/ asked ner where she slept and she
sad on bed. l asked her where the
bed was and she said it was IN the
closet, and then added: 1t Was blue
blanket on the floor She told me
further that the only person to bring
her food was her mother. who brought
her meals in a saucepan. She said she
only had a spoon.
She said her stepmother never
spoke to her and locked the door, leav-
ing her to eat in the dark, After this
conversation the child leaned her head
on my desk and 1 told her We all
thought she was good little soldier TO
suffer 50 much and yet not complain.
She then Strengthened up and her
eyes were filled with tears. She rose
and walked back by herself to the |
chldrenS ward
Mrs Elmore said Edith showed GER ,
tain high lights in her mentality lncom- /
patible with for mental age of years |
as fixed by pSyChometrlC measure OF in |
telligence. and that in various perform !
ance tests she has shown an ability |
to manipulate form and color and 20 !
plan. Her reaction, however. was er- |
ratio. in that on reteStS she would ,
sometimes fail utterly to accomplish !
something she had previously shown an
ability to do, Mrs Elmore said.
Girl Can Be Taught.
Mrs. Elmore expressed the opinion
that while Edith may be cduCable to a
very limited degree she already has
demonstrated she can be taught.
This child understands so much !
more than when she first came to the
hospital and speaks in sentences, but !
the fact that she has shown an in
crease in mental age by formal testing |
does not indicate he" intelligence has |
increased as it might appear. This is
merely q rather COnClUSi"C indication /
that the child was inhibited through the /
environment causes and is beginning
) 10 express the inteIliGenCe th7t was al |