A 1-year, two-state research program attempted to find effective methods to increase the ability of Spanish speaking parents and siblings to cope with the needs of handicapped children and to determine if problems and strategies would differ in the two settings. One group of 33 families was served in a Texas border area; the other 12 families were served in central Washington state. The sites represented extremes in terms of proportion of Spanish speakers in the general population. The study found that Washington families were more likely to be recent immigrants, with lower economic and educational status than their Texas counterparts. Relying on translators, Washington families had a poor understanding of their child's handicapping condition and were less able to deal with the strains it placed on family life. Variables significantly related to positive behaviors on behalf of the handicapped child included: severity of handicap, level of mother's education, cohesive/supportive family structure, mother's knowledge of English, and greater economic resources. In most cases, the mother was the handicapped child's primary caregiver. Key factors for successful recruitment of parents into support efforts were issuing personal invitations, providing transportation, and making parents comfortable about bringing their child to meetings. (NEC)