Abstract EN:

"to help the mentally deficient child on the path of his development" "to give the mentally deficient child the proper conditions for his full development". "to help the mentally deficient child to live in an organized world". Beyond all the definitions given to it, specialized education means nothing other tran a "good education". And who can define such a "good education"? specialized education? in what? who is the specialist? the parents, the specialized educator, or saneone else? for the last forty years, europe has witnessed a dramatic out growth of institutions that care for children in difficulty. But the problems for this category of children are far from being resolved. What is more, education in a specialized institution contributes to the marginalization of the child who is in difficulty, in the sense that it creates stereotypes prejudicial to the very integration of the child. From another perspective, it is recognized that ignoring the problem of the child is no formula for success. Can one simply trust the parents'educative instinct when the case involves a disruptive child? no! the problem must be returned to constantly, just as we must constant ly reconsider our relation with the child. Before establishing an educational project for a specific category of children, one must heep in mind the type of society one wishes to build. In the specific case of countries witnout a structure of special education, one should attempt, while allowing for structures adapted to the most severe cases, to integrate the maximum number of children within "ordinary schools" by means of a renewed pedagogy and educational methods. Key words : specialized education segregation handicapped child educational project mental weakness social project development integration