A summary is presented of a 2-year ethnographic study of the intake process (involving assessment, placement, and educational programming) of 12 Hispanic deaf and hearing-impaired children, aged 3-8. The study, titled "Schooling the Different: Ethnographic Case Studies of Hispanic Deaf Children's Initiation into Formal Schooling" by Adrian Bennett, collected data from formal assessments, case conferences, teacher/parent meetings, written reports, and home and classroom interactions. The study revealed gaps between policy guidelines and actual practice, especially concerning the measurement of the needs and abilities of the children and the active participation of parents. The study found that the source of "problems" was attributed to the child or home environment rather than to the interaction between the child and classroom milieu. In general, Hispanic parents demonstrated skill in providing strong supportive relationships within the family for their deaf or hearing-impaired children, but lacked the knowledge needed to make their voices heard in institutional systems. Implications of these findings are outlined. (JDD)