The critical problems, needs, and issues in early childhood special education are formulated, and an overall framework is suggested for their solution. What is called for in early childhood special education is an expansion of the educational and child development data banks, the creation of a Child Early Warning System (CEWS), the funding of large scale research studies and special education think-tanks run on a quasi-industrial model. Furthermore, the care of children should be viewed as a national enterprise. It is suggested that the handicapped child be returned to the regular classroom environment to enhance his "normalization" process. Continuity between the work on normal and abnormal growth should be maintained, and work on early abnormality should consistently be pursued in the context of normal development. The education of young handicapped children can be improved by data collection systems, standardized methods of child study, a specification of curricula, explicit performance objectives, and comprehensive systems to encompass instructional innovations. (CS)