The parent of a handicapped child reviews the development of parent groups and parent advocacy internationally. Among the programs described are weekend education courses for parents in Norway, deinstitutionalization efforts in England, mass media approaches in France, and the Extend-a-Family program in Canada in which a handicapped child is matched to a volunteer family. Concerns are voiced about the availability of early infant intervention programs, the need for deinstitutionalization, and the importance of respite care. The similarity of parents' needs throughout the world is stressed. (CL)