A Feral Child's Journey to Recovery

Gentle recovery

Because of the lack of control abused and neglected children had over their circumstances during their development, however, it is important that any contact be voluntary. "Forced holding can re-traumatize them," says Perry.

Like autistic children, neglected children often avoid being touched at first, even as they crave affection. "Children have to learn that touch is pleasurable," says Perry, explaining that neglect teaches the opposite lesson. Indeed, when Dani was rescued, she initially resisted physical contact.

When he prescribes massage, Perry has the therapist start very gently and slowly, and follow the child's lead. For example, the therapist might work only a child's hand until more contact feels safe.

Music and movement classes develop rhythm and body coordination, which stimulate the lower brain regions affected by early neglect. Dani's tip-toed gait was a sign of how neglect had affected these areas.

Rapid progress, unknown potential

Dani's progress has been remarkably fast, given the severity of her deprivation. After her rescue, she has reached some milestones she should have reached during early childhood at a quicker pace than babies do.

"She's able to interact in primitive ways," says Perry, "She can be more mature with her family because they make her feel safe. She has a few words. Whenever she gets overwhelmed she retreats into her own little world, but that's very consistent with severe neglect."

Now 9, Dani can feed herself and is toilet-trained. She understands many words and can indicate what she wants by pointing. She's in speech therapy and is learning to ride a horse—a form of treatment that is often used for children with physical disabilities.

Perry says it's hard to know how much recovery to expect. When the brain fails to receive early experiences needed for development, it can require more repetition later to make up for it and it may not be possible to ever provide enough, no matter how hard parents and therapists try.

But Dani does have the huge advantage of having a loving, committed family now, including an adoptive brother just a year older. Despite the trials of living with a younger sibling who does strange things, her sibling William Lierow is devoted to her.

He told the journalist who first chronicled Dani's story that he didn't mind getting less attention from his parents, because, he says, "She needs them more than me."

Clearly, if anyone can teach a child empathy and heal with love, the Lierows can.

More on MSN Health & Fitness:

• Calming the Anxious Brain
• After Trauma: Should You Talk About It?
• Chocolate and Acts of Kindness: No Difference to Your Brain

With Bruce Perry, M.D., Ph.D., Maia Szalavitz co-authored The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog and Other Stories from a Child Psychiatrist's Notebook: What Traumatized Children Can Teach Us About Loss, Love and Healing (Basic Books, 2007). She is a freelance journalist and senior fellow at the media watchdog organization stats.org.