In act 1, what are the Kellers considering doing with Helen?

In act 1 of The Miracle Worker, Aunt Ev asks Mr. and Mrs. Keller if they have seen the eye specialist in Baltimore, Massachusetts, Dr. Chisholm. She tells Helen's parents,

Yes, I heard lots of cases of blindness people thought couldn't be cured he's cured, he just does wonders. Why don't you write to him?

Unfortunately, both parents are losing hope since Helen has already seen so many doctors regarding her blindness and deafness. If she could only gain back some portion of her seeing or hearing, it would be much easier to teach Helen to communicate and to behave with socially acceptable manners. However, since she has not been able to see or hear since she was nineteen months old, Helen has little understanding of acceptable behaviors and cannot communicate with anything but informal gestures. While this conversation is happening, Helen is upset with Martha, the family's servant, and ends up chasing her with scissors. Her mother, not willing to be strict with her daughter, because of her disabilities, tries to take the scissors but ultimately lets Helen have them back to try to keep her peaceful. This shows Helen's stubbornness and the power she has over members of her household. James, Helen's half-brother, sarcastically says,

She only dug Martha's eyes out. Almost dug. It's always almost, no point worrying till it happens, is there?

This situation is what prompts Aunt Ev to mention Dr. Chisholm once more. Perhaps, she suggests, the family might be able to get some help for Helen's vision through his expert knowledge. Though Mrs. Keller says she "stopped believing in wonders," or miracles, she does say that her husband "will write to [Dr. Chisholm] soon." He is less willing and responds,

Katie. How many times can you let them break your heart?

He doesn't immediately give in to the idea of writing to the doctor. James comes up with another suggestion, putting her in an insane asylum, because she is

half-mentally defective, she can't even keep herself clean.

The family does not approve of his suggestion and questions him about how he could suggest such a horrible idea. A while later, after trying to shut the conversation down several times, Mr. Keller gives in:

I'll write the man, Katie.

Mr. Keller decides that he will move forward, in hope, once more. Perhaps another doctor might have some insight about how to help his daughter, Helen.