Rural teachers are confronted with the task of providing appropriate education to exceptional students, as well as addressing the added elements of language and culture issues as these pertain to handicapping conditions. Key points in the identification and instruction of these students are initial referral, early intervention, and appropriate placement within special services. This paper reviews the literature on these key points, focusing on the interrelationship of cultural and educational characteristics. The review concludes that research has clearly demonstrated the significant role played by acculturation factors in the inappropriate identification and placement of culturally/linguistically different students with learning and behavior problems. Research has also pointed the way for modifying the referral/staffing/placement process to more effectively meet the special needs of this population. The appendix contains the "CCDES Acculturation Scale," developed by Cross Cultural Developmental Education Services. The scale can be used to obtain an approximate measure of how acculturated a student is into mainstream American culture. It provides a useful piece of supplemental assessment information and may be used to substantiate decisions to provide intensive learning and behavior interventions for culturally/linguistically different students. The appendix also provides an outline of BISECT, an alternative intervention process developed as a result of this study. (JDD)