Helen Adams Keller
Helen Adams Keller
Helen Adams Keller was born on June 27, 1880 in Tuscumbia, Alabama she was the first of two daughters born to Arthur H. Keller and Katherine Adams Keller. Keller wasn’t born without sight and hearing and at 6 months old she was speaking. When she was only 18 months old Keller contracted “brain fever” producing a high body temperature. After a few days after the fever broke, her mother noticed she didn’t react when the dinner bell was rung or when someone waved there hand in her face. She had lost both her sight and hearing. In her childhood she developed a limited method of communication with Martha Washington, the daughter of the family cook. But eventually Keller became wild and unruly; she would kick and scream when angry, and giggle when happy. In 1886 Keller’s mother came across Charles Dickens, she read the education of another deaf and blind child, Laura Bridgman. Keller and her father went to Baltimore to see specialist Dr. J. Julian Chisolm. Chisolm recommended Alexander Graham Bell who was working with deaf children as well. He suggested the Perkins Institute where they found Anne Sullivan. March 1887 Sullivan came to the Keller home and immediately went to work. She started to teach Keller finger spelling and began with the word “doll,” to help her understand. Keller was curious then she was defiant, and refused to cooperate with Anne. Sullivan kept working, forcing Helen to learn and go through the lesson. Tantrums increased and Sullivan demanded that she be isolated with Keller so she could get her full attention. They moved into a cottage on the farm. She taught her the word “water”; she helped her make connections between the objects and the letters by taking her to the water pump and putting her hand under the spout. Keller spelled water into Sullivan’s hand she responded. Keller began going around to other objects learning their names, and by nightfall she had learned words. In 1890 Keller started speech classes at the Horace
Helen Adams Keller was born on June 27, 1880 in Tuscumbia, Alabama she was the first of two daughters born to Arthur H. Keller and Katherine Adams Keller. Keller wasn’t born without sight and hearing and at 6 months old she was speaking. When she was only 18 months old Keller contracted “brain fever” producing a high body temperature. After a few days after the fever broke, her mother noticed she didn’t react when the dinner bell was rung or when someone waved there hand in her face. She had lost both her sight and hearing. In her childhood she developed a limited method of communication with Martha Washington, the daughter of the family cook. But eventually Keller became wild and unruly; she would kick and scream when angry, and giggle when happy. In 1886 Keller’s mother came across Charles Dickens, she read the education of another deaf and blind child, Laura Bridgman. Keller and her father went to Baltimore to see specialist Dr. J. Julian Chisolm. Chisolm recommended Alexander Graham Bell who was working with deaf children as well. He suggested the Perkins Institute where they found Anne Sullivan. March 1887 Sullivan came to the Keller home and immediately went to work. She started to teach Keller finger spelling and began with the word “doll,” to help her understand. Keller was curious then she was defiant, and refused to cooperate with Anne. Sullivan kept working, forcing Helen to learn and go through the lesson. Tantrums increased and Sullivan demanded that she be isolated with Keller so she could get her full attention. They moved into a cottage on the farm. She taught her the word “water”; she helped her make connections between the objects and the letters by taking her to the water pump and putting her hand under the spout. Keller spelled water into Sullivan’s hand she responded. Keller began going around to other objects learning their names, and by nightfall she had learned words. In 1890 Keller started speech classes at the Horace