Description
This landmark book concerns Laurent Danon-Boilea’s treatment of six children who were unable for various reasons to talk. It describes their progress as they are gently guided by the author towards communication, first without language using toys and games, and then gradually to the ability to speak. All were able to begin normal schooling after treatment. Laurent Danon-Boileau combines the role of Professor of General Linguistics at the University of Paris with professional language therapy. He is a psychoanalyst and associate member of the International Psychoanalytical Association. He works with children between four and seven years old who for a variety of reasons cannot or will not speak He aims to induce the birth of language in these children, at the same time using his observations to explore the nature of child language and communication. His background and education make him particularly attentive to two different dimensions of language that are often considered to be mutually exclusive: language as a psychic and poetic creation, and language as a word processing activity. He is also the developer of a new computer game, Play On, which is designed to assist dyslexic children.
