Intended to help parents of handicapped children when they meet in partnership with public school staff to discuss their child's educational needs, the handbook presents an overview of federal and Maryland state legislation regarding children with handicaps and summarizes the special education process. The initial section, on building a partnership, explains the scope of relevant legislation, provides a rationale for parent participation, and describes ways in which parents can become involved (as home teachers, information specialists, case managers, and advocates). Section II, on the special education process, discusses what parents should know about evaluation, the individualized education program (IEP), placement, the instructional program, and IEP review and reevaluation. Nearly half the document is made up of appended material, including a parents' educational dictionary and a list of state and national resources for parents. A sample IEP is included. (CL)