The purpose and objectives, services, and membership of the International Association of Parents of the Deaf are outlined. (SBH)

The Kalamazoo (Michigan) Parent Respite Care Co-op enables parents of handicapped children to take a break from the daily care their child requires. (SW)

The directory lists 88 parent-to-parent support programs for parents of children with disabilities mostly in the states of Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, West Virginia, and Wyoming. (DB)

The characteristics of Prader-Willi syndrome, which include obesity, short stature, and mental retardation, are explained; and the history and activities of the Prader-Willi Syndrome Parents and Friends organization, whose primary purpose is to act as a vehicle of communication for sharing experiences on how to cope with the syndrome, are…

Parent groups have evolved from providing direct services to mentally retarded persons to advocacy efforts. Continued activities should focus on program quality monitoring, legislative and governmental action, and, if necessary, litigation. (CL)

This article looks at ways the Social Security Administration is changing its image to be more helpful to families with a disabled child. Noted are Supplemental Security Income benefits, the part played by the National Parent Network on Disability, and the recent "Zebley" Supreme Court decision. (DB)

The National Network of Parent Coalitions is composed of 23 coalitions operated by parents whose children have a variety of disabilities. The coalitions help each other in such areas as information, advocacy, peer support, and coordinated training. Members of the National Network of Parent Coalitions are listed. (CL)

The National Tay-Sachs and Allied Diseases Association is involved in education, research, and prevention of Tay-Sachs, an inherited metabolic disorder which destroys the central nervous system, and over 30 related disorders. The group features a parent peer group network and a support group for carrier couples. (CL)

A parent-to-parent support program was begun to provide early support for parents of handicapped children. New parents are carefully matched with helping parents, who have been trained in communication, resource finding, and referral making. (CL)

The International Parents' Organization, a section of the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf, has the purpose of providing assistance to parents of hearing handicapped children. (DB)

Groups such as the President's Committee on Employment of the Handicapped are taking a stronger advocacy view which stresses the natural rights of the handicapped to the same benefits as the nonhandicapped under the constitution. (DB)

The parent of a trainable mentally retarded adolescent describes his need for a summer school program and the successful efforts of organized parents to obtain summer educational services. (DB)

The Parents' Union of Philadelphia features a special education committee which offers parents of disabled children assistance in understanding and monitoring implementation of federal and state laws. Examples of the union's advocacy in placement, evaluation, and Individual Education Program matters are cited. (CL)

The mother of a 7-year-old boy with osteogenesis imperfecta describes arrangements made with an elementary school to place the boy in a regular first grade class. (KW)

The "Parent Speakers Program" combats misunderstanding about the nature of disabilities, misconceptions regarding the disabled, and stereotypes about disabled persons held by the community. Parents present factual information regarding disability; following the presentation, a discussion time and question/answer period is set aside to…