The report presents information from a survey of the needs and characteristics of children with severe communication disorders in Ontario and the programs available to serve them. It is explained that information was gathered from structured interviews with principals, teachers, and 28 parents of language handicapped children, as well as visits to 72 agencies or schools. Initial chapters focus on the scope and purpose of the study, criteria for selecting children as language handicapped, and research on seven topics (sample subtopics in parentheses): normal child language acquisition and development (linguistic basis of research, phonological development, semantics); language delay and deviation; early childhood autism and language disorder (echolalia and pronoun reversal, prevalence of autism); developmental language disorder (cause/nature of aphasia, difference between aphasia and autism in language function); assessment of language disabilities (test reliability and validity, language samples, future needs in assessment); programs (content, structure, sequence); and analysis and selection of language programs (use of alternative symbol systems, specific behavior management strategies). Part II presents the empirical data for the following topic areas (sample subtopics in parentheses): methodology, assumptions, and background of the study; characteristics and needs of study children (interrelationships of administrative, educational, and diagnostic factors); language behavior of children (general findings on language level and fluency); program organization, staff, and resources (teachers' views on developments and improvements); the mail sample analysis of programs; and parents' views (suggested improvements in program, family changes resulting from the handicapped). Two final chapters review programs in Ontario and abroad for language disordered children. (CL)