This report provides an overview of the Collaborative Study of Children with Special Needs, documenting the range of health and special education services provided for disabled students under the Education For All Handicapped Children Act. The study included surveys and interviews with parents of 2,000 disabled school children in five large United States school districts: Charlotte-Mecklenburg, North Carolina; Houston, Texas; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Rochester, New York; and Santa Clara County, California. Teachers for 1,000 of the students were also surveyed. The study found that, in general, parents are satisfied with the services their disabled children receive, the vast majority of disabled students attend regular schools and spend at least part of the day in regular classes, the percentage of the elementary school population deemed eligible for special education ranged from 7.6% to 13.4%, and the socioeconomic status of the special education children mirrored that of the total school population in each district. On the negative side, the report concludes that: fewer than half of the parents participate in decisions about the services their children receive; physicians rarely participate in decisions about placement or services; few after-school, summer, or day care programs are available; and children with mild mental retardation or emotional disturbance remain in a "gray area" where their needs are neither well-defined nor well-served. (JDD)