> Children that don’t learn this by a certain age (I think about 5) can never learn it.
Helen Keller is a counterexample for a lot of these myths: she didn't have proper language (only several dozen home signs) until 7 or so. With things like vision, critical periods have been proven, but a lot of the higher-level stuff, I really doubt critical periods are a thing.
Helen Keller did have hearing until an illness at 19 months, so it's conceivable she developed the critical faculties then. A proper controlled trial would be unethical, so we may never know for sure.
Thanks, it’s good to get counter arguments and wider context. This isn’t an area I’m very familiar with, so I’m aware I could easily fall down a an intellectual pothole without knowing. Paper below, any additional context welcome.
I misremembered however. The paper noted evidence of thresholds at 2, 5 and onset of puberty as seeming to affect p mental plasticity in these capabilities so there’s no one cutoff.
Helen Keller is a counterexample for a lot of these myths: she didn't have proper language (only several dozen home signs) until 7 or so. With things like vision, critical periods have been proven, but a lot of the higher-level stuff, I really doubt critical periods are a thing.
Helen Keller did have hearing until an illness at 19 months, so it's conceivable she developed the critical faculties then. A proper controlled trial would be unethical, so we may never know for sure.