Trama

A deaf 6-year-old girl named Libby lives in a world of silence until a caring social worker teaches her to use sign language to communicate.

Set in rural England and inspired by real-life events, "The Silent Child" centers around a profoundly-deaf four-year-old girl named Libby who is born into a middle-class family and lives in a world of silence until a caring social worker teaches her the gift of communication.

Busy parents Sue and Paul decide to get help from social worker Joanne to prepare their youngest daughter Libby, who is deaf, for the big step of going to school for the first time. Joanne and Libby bond almost immediately as Joanne begins to teach British Sign Language to a responsive Libby.—Jwelch5742

In rural England, a social worker named Joanne (Rachel Shenton) arrives at a middle-class family's house. There lives Libby (Maisie Sly) a profoundly deaf six-year-old. When she arrives, Libby's siblings (Sam Rees and Annie Cuselle) and father (Philip York) run out the door. Sue (Rachel Fielding) explains that the family is very busy. They leave Libby alone, deaf, home day long. She was found deaf at 3 years, she says, and no cochlear ear transplant. They want her to be more confident for school. She follows what they say really well, Sue says. She then leaves. Joanne discovers that Libby doesn't interact at all. She begins to teach her British sign language (BSL). It turns out that Libby's family have given up on her. They do not communicate with her at all. Libby watches in anguish as her family mouth words she can't hear. They have no expectations and they haven't even taken her to the park. Joanne takes matters into her own hands. While at first distant, Libby begins sign language. She first signs, "Orange". Joanne takes Libby to the park to feed ducks, plays with her, hunts for treasure, eats dessert (where Libby sees two women speaking in sign language and tries to understand) and to the pool. Libby begins to adore the first person that has ever loved her, truly. But Sue confronts Joanne. Who even knows BSL, she says? What about school? Joanne explains that Sue needs to fight for extra support. She would be more than happy to help. Sue begins to become interested in BSL. She tries to ask Paul to get Libby school support, which Joanne suggested, but they argue. Joanne soon realizes, from Paul's mother (Anna Barry), that hat Libby was born out of wedlock, and her father was her mother's lover. Her grandfather had been deaf and was a cleaner. Paul stayed with Sue. Paul ignores Libby and her BSL. The family has low expectations for Libby. Sue still insists on speech therapy. She wants her child be normal. Joanne explains that Libby just deaf. Tragically soon, Paul and Sue fire Joanne. They are sending her to school, where another deaf boy had been. He did fine, they said. Speech therapy it is. Libby struggles. The teacher treats Libby like any other student. Libby cannot hear. On the first day, there is a spelling test. The teacher at the front recites the list. Libby cannot hear. Joanne bikes to the school. She sees Libby all alone, again. Ignored. On seeing Joanne, Libby signs "I love you". Joanne, realizing Libby's future (alone, with no communication, no support, no love, no mother) begins to cry, signs "I love you" back, and leaves.