The guide is intended to help parents of young children with special needs identify early intervention services (for children birth through age 2) and special education services (for children ages 3 through 5). Part 1 answers typical questions of parents of infants including: What should I do if I think my child has special needs? What are early intervention services? Who do I contact first for help? What is an assessment? Who pays for the assessment? How can I find out more about special education laws? Part 2 answers similar questions of parents of preschoolers with handicaps: What should I do if I think my preschool child needs special education? Will I have to pay for the assessment or for services? Are there any parent groups in my area? Part 3 provides answers to similar questions about programs and services for rural, adoptive/foster, and military families and their young children with handicaps. Next, a glossary defines about 50 special education terms. Also included are a sample record-keeping worksheet, information on the Education for All Handicapped Children Act and the Education of the Handicapped Act Amendments of 1986, a listing of federally funded parent programs, and an annotated bibliography of 12 recommended readings. (DB)