Four papers explore issues related to the role of parent involvement in providing employment services to young adults with mental retardation and developmental disabilities. In the first paper, results of a survey of parents and guardians revealed a generally negative attitude about changes in working conditions recommended in recent federal policy. Parents' aspirations for their retarded children are reviewed in the second paper. In the third paper, guidelines are given for parents to help their children with severe developmental disabilities to receive appropriate vocational training and employment beginning in the elementary school and continuing through high school. The final paper presents findings from a parent survey to identify work-related skill deficits of their children. Among most frequently named problems were money-related skills and community functioning skills. (CL)