The manual is designed to provide basic information on disabilities to future respite providers. The first chapter examines the nature and characteristics of handicaps in general as well as specific types, such as cerebral palsy, deafness, mental retardation, and behavioral disabilities. The chapter also introduces changing social notions regarding the handicapped. The next nine chapters address the following topics (sample subtopics in parentheses): family feelings and needs of the handicapped (parental reactions and adjustments); home and safety guidelines (inside, outside, accident prevention); health management (medication, specific problems such as seizures and choking); behavior management (increasing and decreasing target behavior); feeding and nutrition (basic meal planning, eating skills, body positioning); communication (alternative communication methods, care of hearing aids, play); physical management and adaptive equipment (wheelchair and stroller considerations, transferring, braces and splints); dressing, grooming, toileting and homemaking; and leisure time activities (activities and community resources). (CL)