This article reports research findings of an interview study conducted with parents of young children with special needs. The research was conducted to assess parental perceptions of infant and family services as proposed in P.L. 99--457. Parents emphasized their need to become knowledgeable about their child and about available services. They also stressed the importance of professionals relaying information and empowering families to become their own decision makers. The focused interview approach used in the study also is discussed as a family assessment strategy.

This article describes an early childhood special educaton personnel preparation program designed to prepare family specialists. The program was developed to meet the training needs of early childhood special educators caused by the increased emphasis on family intervention. Specialized family coursework and field-based experiences are provided to students in addition to training experiences in child-related skills and competencies. An overview of the training program is provided, along with a discussion of the early childhood special educator's expanded roles and responsibilities relative to family intervention.