Twenty-five studies were reviewed which surveyed parents of children with moderate to severe mental disabilities to determine their wishes, needs, and/or satisfaction with various services and aspects of services provided to them and their children. Most of the studies were conducted between 1985 and 1994. They investigated a variety of issues including what parents wanted their children to learn, what type of school setting they desired, what type and degree of involvement the parents desired with the schools, their level of satisfaction with school, preschool, and community based services, and their needs and plans for their children as adults. Ways in which professionals can best address the wishes and needs of parents are presented in the conclusion of the paper.
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