This manual is designed as a guide for parents, teachers and caregivers dealing with children up to the age of six who are afflicted by developmental disabilities. The author provides details of more than 400 non-formal activities along with guidelines on how to use them both at home and in pre-school settings.

The book is divided into three sections:

- the first describes a wide range of impairments, disabilities and handicaps along with information on their manifestations and characteristics. The author also outlines steps to handle negative or problem behaviour during training.
- the next section presents a Comprehensive Activity Checklist for pre-school children. All items have been empirically tested and are located on a scale of increasing difficulty.
- the third section comprises two chapters. The first is a `do-it-yourself` activity assistance guide which will be of immense use to trainers, caregivers, teachers and parents. In the last chapter, Dr Venkatesan discusses contemporary problems and issues related to the rights and privileges of persons with developmental disabilities in India.