Five of the nine papers in the compilation concern aurally handicapped and deaf-blind children. Described are a home training and nursery program in a public school setting for hearing impaired children aged 18 months to 4 1/2 years, problems and progress in the Illinois state plan for hearing impaired children, and new trends in deaf-blind education, particularly area centers for serving the deaf-blind. Parents of deaf-blind children and several avenues for productive study in the evaluation and education of deaf-blind children are also discussed. The remaining four papers treat language and behavior problems. Two focus upon characteristics and management of elective mutism in children, and the efficacy of operant conditioning in affecting the verbal behavior of young children with severe language disabilities. The other two describe a preventive approach to speech and language delay used with socioeconomically disadvantaged preschool children (a high-risk population), and a cooperative summer language and behavioral program entitled Repleb (Reinforcing Purposeful Language and Behavior) for 5 to 8-year-old mentally retarded children. (KW)