Professionals who work with developmentally disabled Hispanic clients must enhance their own ability to work with ethnic minorities and become thoroughly familiar with the culture of the people they serve. To encourage disabled Hispanic individuals to apply for services, agencies can employ strategies such as bilingual capability, use of interpreters, staff training in cultural sensitivity, and the use of the extended family system to resolve conflicts. Service providers must keep in mind that Hispanic subcultures in the United States have limited access to resources and therefore must create cultural mechanisms different from their wealthier counterparts, if they are to survive at all. Professionals must take language differences into account in their assessment and intervention techniques, understanding that a language barrier can seriously affect the accuracy of a client's assessment and give rise to inappropriate interventions. It is important to understand the deep sense of family obligation felt by Hispanics. The family must care for its own, and this responsibility should not be passed on to strangers (institutions). The responsibility to care for the disabled person falls to each family member. (JHZ)