本研究主要目的有三：(1)調查臺灣地區已出現尋求協助的心智發展障礙幼兒人口及其接受或未接受早期療育服務的情形；(2)探討接受及未接受早期服務的障礙幼兒及其家庭狀況、所獲服務及滿意度或未獲服務原因；(3)探討服務需求與現有機機服務資源間的供需狀況及可能的問題。本研究對象為879個具明顯心智發展障礙幼兒家庭個案和58所提供早療服務的機構人員。本研究運用自編的問卷進行調查。 本研究主要發現：八十三學年度臺灣地區現身的具明顯障礙幼兒家庭個案約近二千名；在879個有效樣本中，有七成左右的幼兒接受不同形態的早期療育服務，0∼2歲幼兒多在醫院復健，3∼6歲者則多就讀於私立社會福利機構，供需間有明顯差距；父母年齡較輕、教?程度較低、或家庭社經水準較低的障礙幼兒家庭尋得服務的比例較低；絕大多數家庭對所獲服務多持正面的反應，但是普遍對主要獲得的(教育、復健、費用補助或優待、服務手冊、殘障鑑定等)或政府提供的服務滿意度偏低；未接受服務的主要原因包括地區資源和資訊的缺乏；家長竑應出對教育或復健等直接服務及資訊上技援迫切需求；在有限的機構服務資源中，以私立社會福利機構提供的早療服務較具多元化，且能視幼兒及其家庭需要提供低年齡幼兒部皆時間的定點服務、到家輔導或給較高年齡幼兒日托式的服務。最後，依家長與機構人員的建議，有必要結合教育、醫療、社政三大體系積極規畫早療通報與鑑定系統、宣導、普及社區化早療服務措施、和專業人員培訓等工作。

　　　　　A needs assessment was conducted to identify the needs perceived by families with intellectually handicapped youngsters and the existing resources available in Taiwan. It was also intended to explore the risk factors which had prevented families from being served and the degree of satisfaction regarding the services families received. A total of 879 parents of children under six who showed obvious intellectual handicaps and 58 service providers was surveyed. As the results, families with young handicapped children expressed anxious needs in direct services for their child and information. Financial assistance from the government and supports services provided by parents groups were also the needs reported by these families. Even though parents showed their satisfaction with services, mainly provided by private groups, however, the discrepancy between needs expressed by parents and the existing resources was obviously found. The risk factors prohibiting families to be served included limited or no community resources available, problems of knowing existing resources, difficulties of finding services with good quality, transportation problems, high costs of services, or high selection criteria set by agencies. Families with handicapped children in younger ages or in more severe and complicated conditions, parents who hand lower education, families which had lower income or resided in the area where community resources were limited had more risks to be under-served. The study thus suggested the government to initiate well-planned public awareness programs, child find and identification system, comprehensive and coordinated services, and personnel preparation programs.