this monograph presents the proceedings of a symposium on early childhood special education. The proceedings stress: (1) the importance of a family-centered approach in early intervention; (2) the need for more parents' participation; and (3) the value of continuity and coordination in service provision. After the text of a brief opening speech by Lady Wilson, texts of the following plenary session speeches are provided (in both English and Chinese): "Recent Trends in Early Intervention" (M. J. Guralnick); "Early Identification, Assessment and Placement" (Rose Mak); "Parents' Roles and Involvement in the Training of Handicapped Children" (Joseph Lau); "Policy and Current Trends of Special Education in Hong Kong" (Ruth Lau); "Autism: Current Concepts, Research Findings and Implications for Services" (M. Rutter); "The Management of Autism in Hong Kong--Challenges and Directions" (C. K. Wong); "A Parent's Experience in Training Autistic Children" (L. C. Fung); and "Suggestions for Developing Services for Autistic Persons" (Wan Sing hin). Workshops on the following topics are briefly summarized: sharing of experience in training autistic children; the implications of categorization versus noncategorization in the training of handicapped children; prevention and management of behavior problems; helping parents of handicapped children; teaching methods and curriculum design in integrated/special preschool settings; and linkages between child care centers and special schools to foster child and parental adjustment. A final sharing session looked at major speakers' impressions of services for preschool handicapped children in Hong Kong. (DB)