Patients are often told of the diagnosis of a neurological disability in less than ideal circumstances such that they may not fully comprehend it. Clinicians must be able to sense when the patient's understanding is imperfect even if superficially he or she appears to take in what has been said and its implications. A programme of further counselling is often required to follow this up. A critical look at current procedures will show how these problems arise. It is suggested that improvements in the care of neurologically disabled patients would follow from improved communication between the many agencies that the concerned in their care and from providing books and other material explaining disability and its treatment. A logical development would be for disabled living centres to be established adjacent to existing neuroscience units.