Intended for direct service special education personnel, the paper traces the origin of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (P.L. 94-142); examines the legislation and litigation which preceded its enactment; discusses its funding mechanism; reviews its relationship to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; and looks at several of its major components (including nondiscriminatory testing, evaluation procedures, least restrictive environment, procedural safeguards, due process, and the individualized education program). Some issues and concerns relative to the act's implementation are discussed, and a suggested handbook is outlined, focusing on those elements of P.L. 94-142 which are crucial for its implementation both in letter and in spirit. Among the appendixes are an exceptional student education organizational chart, a step by step guide to placing a child, and the agenda for an inservice seminar. (Author/DLS)