Communication and language disorders are often considered from one particular point of view - either psychological or neurological. Danon-Boileau argues that this is a serious mistake. He emphasizes that a child's trouble can stem from a variety of causes: neurological problems similar to those of aphasia, cognitive impairments, and psychological disorders, and, thus, the interaction of these elements needs to be taken into account. In precise case studies, Danon-Boileau describes the situations he has confronted and traces the causes of changes in the child when they happen. Combining...

Laurent Danon-Boileau is one of France's most respected child psychoanalysts. In The Silent Child, he takes us into his office to watch him treat six children who cannot or will not speak.
Reminiscent of Oliver Sacks's The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, this intriguing book introduces us to patients of surpassing strangeness, children who suffer from severe psychological difficulties that block their ability to speak or read. For instance, we watch as Danon-Boileau has sessions with Kim, who could name objects correctly, but when trying to express herself, would lapse into a...