This guidebook's aim is to encourage the development of good working relationships between parents and service professionals for the benefit of children or young people with disabilities. It begins with a list of reasons for partnership and a discussion of the needs and strengths of families. It then examines the essence of partnership, which is described as professional accountability to parents and equality between parents and professionals. An age-based approach is used to discuss the needs of children, from preschoolers to adolescents, and the implications of these needs for partnership development. A final chapter discusses overcoming obstacles such as lack of training, psychological and social distance, and reconciling the child's needs with the needs of other family members. Suggestions for successful partnerships are made, guided by the principle that if people are to work together more successfully, they will have to get to know one another as human beings first and only secondly in their role of parents or professionals. (Includes 31 references.) (JDD)