IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND YOUTH HANDICAPPED BY SOCIAL STATUS DIFFERENCES, IT WAS NECESSARY TO REALIZE POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE ASPECTS WERE CONTRADICTORY ATTITUDES TOWARD SELF AND OTHERS, MATERIALISTIC ATTITUDES, LOW-LEVEL ASPIRATION AND MOTIVATION, AND DIFFERENT SOCIOCULTURAL PATTERNS. THE POSITIVE ASPECTS INCLUDED SELECTIVE MOTIVATION AND CREATIVITY, CAPACITY FOR MEANINGFUL AND LOYAL PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS, INGENIOUSNESS AND RESOURCEFULNESS. PRINCIPLES HELPFUL IN DEALING WITH DISADVANTAGED CHILDREN WERE FORMULATED. THESE INCLUDED ACCEPTING THE INVALIDITY OF THE CONCEPT OF FIXED INTELLIGENCE. THE DIALECTS OF DEVELOPMENT GAVE TO TEMPORAL AND SEQUENTIAL FACTORS A CRITICAL ROLE IN DETERMINING THE APPROPRIATENESS OF PROCEDURES IN BEHAVIORAL DEVELOPMENT AND CHANGE. DISTURBED LEARNING PATTERNS WERE RECOGNIZED AS THE PRODUCTS OF SPECIFIC LEARNING DISABILITIES. THE INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIP THAT WE CALL COUNSELING AND INTERVIEWING MAY OFTEN BE ENTIRELY INAPPROPRIATE. THIS PAPER WAS PREPARED FOR THE SYMPOSIUM ON GUIDANCE AND SCHOOL DROPOUTS (WEST POINT, NEW YORK, MAY 5-7, 1963).