The 16 chapters comprising this manual are intended to provide a practical guide for meeting the needs of ventilator-assisted children. Chapters have the following titles and authors: (1)"Spectrum of Care" (Virginia Simson Nelson and Lynn E. Driver); (2) "Long-Term Airway Management for the Ventilator-Assisted Child" (Ann Marie Ramsey and Elizabeth Ann Grady); (3) "Pediatric Home Mechanical Ventilation" (Grady); (4) "The Role of Nursing in the Transition Home for Ventilator-Assisted Children" (Cathy Lewis and Janet Dean); (5) "Functional Independence in Activities of Daily Living" (Angela Jordan, Donn F. Hilker, and Janet Santos); (6) "Oral and Written Communication Needs of the Ventilator-Assisted Child" (Driver and Hilker); (7) "Special Needs of the Prelinguistic Ventilator-Assisted Infant" (Juanita Zink Cox and Dale VanDeinse); (8) "Feeding and Swallowing Issues in the Ventilator-Assisted Child" (VanDeinse and Cox); (9) "Physical Therapy Goals and Intervention for the Ventilator-Assisted Child or Adolescent" (Gretchen Backer and Betsy Howell); (10) "Leisure and Recreation: Activities and Resources for the Ventilator-Assisted Child" (Robert Wolfe, Deborah Webb, and Hilker); (11) "Establishing a Recreational Camp for Ventilator-Assisted Children" (Mary Dekeon and Betsy Howell); (12) "Sexuality Education for Ventilator-Assisted Adolescents and Their Families" (Angela Giacoletti Argento, Lisa Engel, and Seth Warschausky); (13) "Psychosocial Adjustment to the Transition Home" (Engel and Amy Jo Herndon); (14) "Transitions: A Personal Perspective" (Derek Juntunen); (15) "A Family's Perspective" (Darlene Russ); and (16) "Resources for Ventilator-Assisted Children and Their Families" (Engel, Herndon, and Donald G. Kewman). Appendices list resources for leisure and recreation and assistive technology solutions for computer access. (Individual chapters contain references.) (DB)