"Mute" four-year-old talks to animals

Really intriguing story from today's Daily Mail - you can read it in full here - about Rose Willcocks, who is four and has"an extremely unusual genetic condition" because of  "a chromosome defect which has left her with a floppy voicebox and windpipe" (what is this? does she have 22q? I wish it said). She's never uttered a word, but then she met some animals as part of her therapy and happily chats away to them. "We had never heard Rose vocalise before and we were overjoyed," her mother said. "Her affinity with animals amazes everyone. She changes from an introvert into a chatterbox."

Comments

[Adrien von Ferscht, CEO The Sensory Processing Foundation]

Although this isn't relevant to Rosie's interesting condition perhaps, elective mute children are not uncommon and often something bizarre unlocks something and sets them chattering! Recently, a child who had been receiving intensive speech and language therapy through us and had been mute for 4 years suddenly one day was heard in school making a commotion. Her newly sprouted pot of seedlings had set the child talking and has continued to do so ever since.

I'm happy to talk to any parents of children with children with severe speech and language issues - many are symptomatic of complex underlying sensory processing disorders.

[Jane van Wyk]

According to her website: http://rose-willcocks-appeal.org/ (go to 'Rose's Condition') she has 'unbalanced translocation between chromosomes 4 and 10'. There is a full scientific name that runs to three lines.