Parental involvement is critical to the maintenance and generalization of language behavior established in the instructional environment, in this case, a day training center for the mentally retarded. This practicum project sought to teach parents from 46 families to work effectively in the area of communication with their severely/profoundly mentally retarded child, thereby promoting carryover to the home environment, and also sought to alleviate the parents' feelings of ignorance and helplessness in providing such educational therapy. The involvement of each family member in caregiving, physical activity, and educational programming for the pre-pubescent or adolescent handicapped child was assessed. As part of a multi-faceted program, two luncheon workshops were held and literature was prepared to train the home caregivers in using an interactive approach to communication which responded to the child's modes of communication during naturally occurring situations, such as mealtimes and playtimes. Evaluation of the program indicated that parents who participated in some aspect of the program were able to develop realistic communication goals at their child's individualized education program conference. Fourteen parents (87%) believed that parent meetings were a viable and necessary part of the day training experience. Forty-four references are listed; the appendixes include survey forms: the family involvement sheet; project feedback; and parent evaluation of the program. (JDD)