[Early treatment. An overview].

"Early training" for deaf children was introduced some twenty years ago. The idea rapidly gained ground for using the same principles to help as early as possible all children suffering from a handicap the diagnosis of which could be made at birth or very early in life, as well as those children who are retarded or language-risk children. Such interventions take account of the parents, the child, and are aimed at encouraging or furthering everything in the field of arousal, communication and language. In many respects speech therapists are the best trained to meet the needs of multidirectional help for the very small child, and especially to provide help orienting the relationship towards language.