Early-childhood special educators have witnessed dramatic changes during the past two decades. The general view of early experience in child development has changed greatly along with many specific aspects of service delivery including assessment, parent training, and the education of handicapped and nonhandicapped children. In this paper, an overview of educational services for young handicapped children is presented. Current trends in early childhood special education are described as well as the many issues that have evolved. Recommendations are made concerning directions for future policy.