This handbook is designed to help counselors meet the career development and counseling needs of disadvantaged students. More specifically, the focus of the handbook is on helping disadvantaged students to gain a better understanding of their needs, to strengthen their self-concept, and to reach their fullest potential. Developed around a medical-related organizational pattern, the guide is divided into sections dealing with the symptoms of, diagnosis of, prescription for, and programs for the career and counseling needs of disadvantaged students. The following topics are included in the individual sections of the guide: symptoms (a working definition of the term disadvantaged, the process of identifying disadvantaged students, and additional identification tools); diagnosis of special needs (an initial intake interview form, a selection of recommended standardized assessment instruments, and a sample student profile form); prescription (seven recognized needs with a list of prescriptive activities and available resources, school and community references, and development of a resource inventory); and prognosis (conclusions, recommendations, and a counselor checklist). Provided in the section on developing a resource inventory are a sample letter, a community survey form, a school resource inventory form, community resource data cards, and a list of agencies and organizations. (MN)