THIS PAPER DOCUMENTS THE GENERAL CONDITIONS OF DISADVANTAGED AMERICANS AND EXAMINES THE PSYCHOEDUCATIONAL PROBLEMS WHICH GROW OUT OF THEM. SPECIFIC STATISTICS ARE REPORTED WHICH DESCRIBE INADEQUATE MEDICAL SERVICES FOR NEGROES, POOR HEALTH, POVERTY LEVEL INCOMES, AND EDUCATIONAL RETARDATION. THE PSYCHOEDUCATIONAL FACTORS DISCUSSED INCLUDE VISUAL PERCEPTION, INTELLIGENCE, WORD ATTACK SKILLS, READING AND ORAL LANGUAGE PATTERNS, AND EMOTIONAL STABILITY. THE PAPER CONCLUDES THAT DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS HAVE LESS GENERAL INFORMATION THAN ADVANTAGED CHILDREN AND THAT THERE IS A HIGHER INCIDENCE OF SEVERE VISUAL PERCEPTUAL DYSFUNCTIONS AMONG LOWER-CLASS GROUPS. MOST SIGNIFICANT, HOWEVER, IS THE TREMENDOUS NUMBER OF DISABLED LEARNERS AMONG LOWER-CLASS CHILDREN. AMONG THE REASONS WHY THESE PROBLEMS HAVE NOT YET BEEN SOLVED IS THE POSSIBILITY THAT EDUCATORS ARE RELUCTANT TO RECOGNIZE THE SLUM CHILD'S POTENTIAL ABILITY. ADDITIONALLY, EDUCATORS HAVE NO UNDERSTANDING OF THE METHODS AND MATERIALS NEEDED TO MAKE THE SLUM CHILD LEARN. (LB)