e areas dealing with assessment, mainstreaming, and training of personnel.
That the needs and rights of the handicapped will require continued societal recognition in the future is found in an important factor, that of medical advances. In recent decades there have been significant improvements in the treatment and prevention of acute childhood illnesses. One expression of such medical advances is an increase of children exhibiting new morbidity, that is, children with an array of mild but persistent behavioral and developmental problems (Haggerty, Roghmann & Pless, 1975). There is also an increased recognition of the needs of children with more severe and chronic handicapping conditions. Thus, while medical advances have contributed to increased survival rates of infants with congenital and neonatal complications, there is also a greater likelihood that such children will grow up with impairments, disabilities, or handicaps.
In light of these factors, the scope and nature of special children's needs will determine the basis for comprehensive services. Central to the provision of any intervention is the need for an accurate assessment of the individual characteristics and needs of special children. Accuracy of assessment is important: 1) to facilitate diagnosis efforts; 2) to insure that an appropriate match is made between a child and a treatment or education program; and 3) to evaluate the effectiveness of a particular treatment or intervention. The importance of acc
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