- Based on the actual events of one of the most horrific cases of child abuse ever to be documented, this haunting drama tells the tale of a young girl that was locked in a room for over 12 years.
- On November 4, 1970 on The CBS Evening News, Walter Cronkite reported on a true, horrific story that was about to rock the country. A 13-year-old girl was discovered in the small Los Angeles suburb of Arcadia who was still in diapers, barely able to walk and unable to speak. Kept in severe isolation by her parents with virtually no human contact for more than 10 years, she was confined to her bedroom, tied to her potty-chair and left to fend for herself. As Cronkite noted, it was one of the most horrendous cases of child abuse ever to surface. Much like an animal, the girl spat, sniffed and clawed. She had none of the traits or characteristics of conventional human behavior, nor could she comprehend such modern societal conveniences as silverware or bathroom etiquette. Her emotional development was practically non-existent, and she could not speak. With this heartbreaking story, the world was being introduced to a fragile, beautiful teenager who seemed and behaved like an infant, or Wild Child.—Steven Zeller
- For most of young Katie Standon's life in 1970s Los Angeles, she has been left in a locked room and tied to a chair. When the teenager is seen at a welfare office and her parents are charged with abuse, the story receives national attention. A team of social workers and therapists are soon assigned to help and educate Katie who has never learned to speak or been in contact with anyone in the outside world, but do they really know what is best for such an unusual case like Katie's?—Hailey Shannon
- Loosely based on a true story. It's 1970 in Los Angeles. Thirteen-year old Katie Standon lives with her parents, Wes and Louise, and older brother, Billy.
Wes is abusive and keeps Katie locked in her room and tied to a chair at all times. His wife, Louise, who is partially blind with cataracts, reminds him of the promise he made that if their daughter lived past the age of 12, they would get help. Louise and Katie go to the welfare office, but those working at the welfare office are shocked by the young girl's appearance. The Standons are arrested and the case is reported on the national news. Embarrassed and ashamed by the media coverage and with a growing number of onlookers gathering outside the family home, Wes commits suicide, leaving behind a note saying "the world will never understand". While this is happening, Louise pleads "not guilty" while on trial for abuse. Katie is sent to a children's hospital where she is studied and educated by a team of specialists. These include UCLA graduate student, Sandra Tannen, and special education teacher, Judy Bingham.
Judy aspires to use Katie as a ticket to fame and to becoming "the next Annie Sullivan" as she tells Sandra. Sandra wants to know more about the family history, when Louise comes to visit. Sandra begins researching Katie's behavior, but Judy takes Katie to stay with her. Katie is later quarantined at Judy's house after she contracts rubella. Sandra goes to visit Katie at Judy's. Shortly after the visit, Judy accuses another member of the team, Stan York, of molesting Katie, forcing him to resign from his position. Judy also tells Sandra to stop coming to visit Katie and that Katie is in her custody. Sandra tells Judy that she is isolating Katie and it's just like how it was at her parents' house.
Some time later, another therapist, Norman Glazer, takes Katie to live with him and his family, which includes his wife, Beverly, who is also a therapist, and their two teenage children. Judy threatens Norman and seeks revenge on him and the other team members for taking Katie from her. Katie continues to learn to speak and learn other forms of therapy as her progress continues. Louise, who has had surgery to fix her eyes, comes to visit Katie at the Glazer house. The next morning, Katie has her first period, and Sandra explains menstruation to her. Katie attends school for the first time, where she develops a crush on her bus driver. Two specialists from NIMH (National Institute of Mental Health) come to see the research on Katie. Katie draws a sexually suggestive picture and slaps a child in her class. During a trip to the beach, Louise reveals to Sandra that Katie's father would often hit her with a stick or growl like a dog to keep her quiet. Because of the latter, whenever Katie sees a dog or hears it bark she panics and begins harming herself by scratching her arms. Louise also complains that the Glazers are not letting her see Katie. Sandra soon begins to think Katie is not progressing as well as they hoped, because despite her increased vocabulary, it is difficult for her to speak grammatically correct sentences. The team starts by teaching Katie sign language, as well as speaking. NIMH announces they are cutting funding for Katie's grant. Katie is sent back to live with her mother. Sandra comes to visit the Standons, where Louise is considering having Katie put into an institute because she is too difficult for her to deal with. Sandra suggests putting Katie in a foster home instead. Katie is sent to live in a foster home with strict parents who do not tolerate some of her behavior including using sign language and wearing necklaces. Sandra runs into Judy, who is still upset about having Katie taken away from her. Katie vomits while eating breakfast, something that disgusts her foster parents who punish her severely. Sandra visits Katie, who is refusing to speak and/or eat, because she doesn't want to vomit again. Sandra wants the social workers to relocate Katie, because she has resorted to self-harm.
Katie is sent back to the hospital, and eventually placed in another foster home. Sandra goes to see Louise, who is upset with Sandra and accuses her of treating Katie like an experiment and forbids Sandra and the other team members from ever seeing Katie again. Sandra then asks Louise to tell her what went wrong with her family. Louise tells Sandra that nobody really understood Wes, except for his mother, whom he loved dearly. All of that changed when Wes's mother crossed the street to get ice cream and was struck by a car. They moved into her house and Wes slept in his mother's old bedroom with his wife and son in the living room. While Katie was given a room all to herself, the one she was locked in. The reason: a doctor told Katie's parents she was retarded, prompting her father to keep her in a locked room in fear that she might be taken away, he also thought that she wouldn't live, but only a few more years. Wes also became her primary caregiver, because Louise was starting to go blind. Sandra then runs into Judy and discovers that Louise is siding with her, even though she can't have Katie.
Sandra watches videos of Katie and hopes that one day she will see her again. She then goes to look after her own infant child.
In the epilogue, it is revealed that Judy continued to harass the other members of the team until her death and that Sandra is still forbidden to see Katie, who lives in a foster home nearby.
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content