The author reviews research pertaining to parent behavior in relation to child development, repercussions of disability on family life, and techniques for helping parents of disabled children. Section 1 considers theoretical bases of parenting and normal development; biological, psychological, and social factors in the genesis of handicaps; parent adaptation of disability; the role of parents toward the disabled child; and children in families with disabled parents. A second section addresses the psychological trauma experienced by parents when informed of their child's disability, repercussions of the disability on the lives of mothers and the couple, the clinical importance of grandparents in family dynamics around the disabled child, siblings of the disabled child, and repercussions to the family in view of the sociocultural context. A final section focuses on parental guidance in outpatient clinics and in the home environment, the relationship between parents and professionals (both in terms of conflict and mutual help), family therapy and parents' groups, the role of parents' organizations, and fields of future research. Noted among findings are that there is a need for a "third person" as mediator in order to fight isolation of families with handicapped children. Other findings are that social class does not influence psychological adaptation to disability but does play a role in social adaptation, and that parents' associations seem to perform a regulatory role in the system of help to disabled persons. Following a bibliography are copies of commentaries with the folliwng titles and authors: "Comment on Childhood Disability and the Family" (E. Zucman); "Between Earth and Sky--Commentary on Childhood Disability and the Family" (W. Roth); "Commentary on Childhood Disability in the Family--The 'Added Handicap'" (G. Blom, et al.); "The Summer Family Conference--An Adventure in Counseling Families with Handicapped Children" (L. Park); and "Disability in the Family--The Relation between Parents and Professionals" (B. Dyssegaard). (SW)