Presented are the 1976 findings and recommendations of the National Advisory Committee on the Handicapped regarding the education of handicapped children. Past, present, and future trends in the education of the handicapped are discussed. Among recommendations made by the committee are that educational opportunities be provided to handicapped children in the least restrictive environment commensurate with their needs and that adult and continuing education programs be provided for handicapped learners. Briefly described are the following federal programs: Handicapped Children's Early Education Program, Regional Education Program, Child Service Demonstration Centers, research and demonstration projects, Child Advocacy Program, Handicapped Personnel Preparation Program, Captioned Films for the Deaf program, Area Learning Resource Centers, Regional Resource Center program, National Information Center for the Handicapped, State Plan program, programs to provide aid to state-supported schools for educating the handicapped, programs to provide vocational education, ESEA (Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965) Title IV programs, programs for the severely handicapped, deaf-blind centers, and programs for the gifted and talented. Also reported on are the status of 1975 recommendations and the administration and operation of the National Technical Institute for the Deaf and the Model Secondary School for the Deaf. (SB)