This guide is intended to help parents of adolescents and adults with mental retardation to teach their sons and daughters about HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) and AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome). An official resolution on AIDS adopted by The Arc, an organization for citizens with mental retardation, begins the guide. This resolution supports continued and increased research, support, and education and does not support mandatory blood testing solely on the basis of mental retardation. Next, basic information about HIV/AIDS for parents is summarized. Specific information that parents should teach their offspring is then outlined. General guidelines for such instruction are offered and include teaching yourself what you need to know, learning about local resources, and repeating and reinforcing the messages. Each of the five guidelines are explained in some detail, and additional resources, such as the SAFE (Stopping Aids through Functional Education) curriculum, are suggested. Specific teaching suggestions for use with daughters are given. A variety of organizational resources, sources for speakers, and hotlines are listed. The guide concludes with The Arc's position statement on sexuality, which stresses the normal human rights of persons with mental retardation. (DB)