THE PURPOSES OF THIS STUDY WERE (1) TO INVESTIGATE THE EARLY RECOGNITION OF BRAIN INJURY SYMPTOMS BY PARENTS, (2) TO EXPLORE THE DIAGNOSTIC PROBLEMS AND HISTORIES OF BRAIN INJURED CHILDREN AND THEIR PARENTS, AND (3) TO REVIEW THE EXISTING AND NEEDED FACILITIES FOR BRAIN INJURED CHILDREN IN NEW JERSEY. IN 1964, A QUESTIONNAIRE ELICITING BIOGRAPHICAL DATA, MEDICAL HISTORY, ATTITUDES OF PARENTS AND SIBLINGS TOWARD THE BRAIN INJURED CHILD, AND THERAPEUTIC NEEDS WAS SENT TO ALL PARENTS WHO WERE MEMBERS OF THE NEW JERSEY ASSOCIATION FOR BRAIN-INJURED CHILDREN. THE 190 RETURNED QUESTIONNAIRES (55 PERCENT) PROVIDED INFORMATION ABOUT 137 BOYS AND 53 GIRLS, AGED 4 TO 21 YEARS. PARENTS WHO RETURNED QUESTIONNAIRES WERE ABOVE NEW JERSEY 'S AVERAGE IN EDUCATION, OCCUPATION, AND ECONOMIC STATUS. ANALYSIS REVEALED THAT THE BRAIN INJURED CHILDREN IN THE SAMPLE TENDED TO BE BORN TO OLDER WOMEN (OVER 30). SPEECH WAS THE MOST VISIBLE DISABILITY OF THESE CHILDREN, FOLLOWED BY FAULTY BABY PATTERNS, POOR COORDINATION, AND SLOW DEVELOPMENT IN GENERAL. MOST LEARNING DISABILITIES (85 PERCENT) WERE FIRST NOTED AT SCHOOL AGE AND OVER HALF OF THE CHILDREN WERE MULTIPLY HANDICAPPED. PARENTS MOST FREQUENTLY COMPLAINED ABOUT THEIR CHILDREN'S BEHAVIORAL PROBLEMS OF INABILITY TO RELATE TO THE ENVIRONMENT. NEARLY HALF OF THE PARENTS WERE DISSATISFIED WITH THE WAY THEIR DOCTORS PRESENTED THEIR DIAGNOSIS. THE INSTITUTE FOR HUMAN POTENTIAL AND OTHER CHILD GUIDANCE AND EVALUATION CENTERS HAD THE HIGHEST REPUTATIONS AMONG PARENTS. MOST OF THE PARENTS REPORTED TAKING AN ENCOURAGING ATTITUDE TOWARD THEIR CHILDREN AND HOPING THAT THE CHILDREN WOULD ADAPT TO THEIR DIFFICULTIES. IN ALL, 89 PERCENT OF THE CHILDREN WERE CONSIDERED BY THEIR PARENTS TO BE IN GOOD HEALTH, AND MOST OF THE SCHOOL AGED CHILDREN ATTENDED PUBLIC SCHOOLS. PARENTS FELT THE MOST IMPORTANT IMMEDIATE NEED OF THEIR CHILDREN WAS FOR SPECIAL CLASSES WITH TRAINED TEACHERS. ELEVEN REFERENCES ARE LISTED. TABLES AND FIGURES SHOW STATISTICAL INFORMATION OBTAINED FROM THE QUESTIONNAIRES. (JA)