Without language, it is very hard for someone to express themselves. When one is unable to express themselves, they often act out in some way. Helen was acting out because she did not know better and did not have language.
Before she was put in isolation with Ms. Sullivan, she acted out by being very aggresive, didn't have good manners, and was short-tempered. For example, during meals, she would walk around and take food off of others' plates with her hands. She didn't know any better and nobody tried to teach her, because really how could they teach her? The answer is they couldn't. Instead of trying to teach Helen the correct way to handle a situation or the correct way to hold herself, they just let her have her way. This prevented temper tantrums. The parents had language, but not a language Helen could learn. Helen had no language. This was a huge barrier.
Helen emerged from her two week isolation almost a "different person." She was more calm, and had a good foundation of manners and etiquette. She still had a ways to go, but she had a good foundation on how she was supposed to act and also had infinitely more language.
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