Parents of infants and young children with disabilities or special health care needs are thrust, often without warning, into an unfamiliar and complex world that requires support for and information about a whole host of medical, educational, legal, financial, social, and emotional realities. Statewide early intervention efforts have a valuable ally in statewide parent-to-parent programs in meeting the needs of families of young children with special needs. This article reports on the descriptive results of a national survey of statewide parent-to-parent programs and suggests ways in which parent-to-parent programs and early intervention efforts can support and enhance their respective efforts on behalf of young children and families
