The Families as Faculty experience assists universities to better prepare candidates for service as classroom teachers. Upon entering their practica and student teaching, many teacher candidates have had no to limited contact with exceptional students. Often candidates are unaware of the realities of having a student with disabilities in their classroom. This study explored candidate perceptions and interactions with families of children with diagnosed disabilities. Findings included information about candidate understanding about family characteristics and needs, positive and negative interactions with schools, and the fears and frustrations associated with parenting an exceptional child. Limitations included historical teacher candidate data derived from reflections of the FAF experience from one education program in the Southwestern United States. Student learning from this experience and parent needs are discussed.