ABSTRACTThere is almost always too much conflict in the relationships between care agencies and families. This conflict depends on the condition and age of the handicapped person, the sociocultural level of the family and the characteristics of the agencies themselves. In France there are three kinds of institution for handicapped adults: medical‐professional institutes (for 14‐18 year olds); centres for help through work; and sheltered workshops (for those over 18). The paper proposes a model of dialogue between families and professional teams and attempts to understand the roots of the conflicts in order to control them better.