The latency period is distinguished by the growing importance of the ego. Consistent and intelligent educational demands are helpful to the child in controlling his drives and allaying anxiety. Obsessional mechanisms, in particular, serve both to repress the Oedipus complex and to further the acquisition of new ego functions. Projective thinking is more strongly developed during the latency phase of impulsive children.

Therapy during latency should be directed toward freeing the ego from the pressures of the instincts and the superego. Educational help in building ego defenses takes a prominent part in this process. The goal of treatment is to enable the ego to function adequately within the limitations which are normal for this phase of development.