Nationwide, more than 13.5 million children have special healthcare needs and with increases in the prevalence and diagnosis of development disabilities, this number can be expected to increase in the coming years. For any child with special needs, it is very important that they have a medical home from which all services can be coordinated. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) defines a medical home as a respectful partnership between a patient, the patient's family as appropriate, and the patient's primary healthcare setting. There are currently ongoing initiatives by the AAP to promote the adoption of the "medical home" with the ultimate goal being that all children with special needs can have access to a medical home. The National Center for Medical Home Implementation has a wealth of resources for families about the concept of the medical home, in addition to information about the implementation of these programs in each state. Currently, there are only a few pediatricians across the country that are engaged in this level of training needed to establish a medical home. This article presents suggestions which have been adapted from pediatricians' clinical experiences as well as the Region 4 Genetic Collaborative's Medical Home Education Workgroup. (Contains 1 endnote.)