Development of three individualized education programs (IEPs) to establish manual communication skills with severely and profoundly retarded nonverbal normal hearing students resulted in identification of areas of concept formation, long range goals, short range objectives, strategies, and evaluative techniques that were generally effective for all three students. A chart lists 10 short term objectives with associated techniques/strategies, evaluative techniques, and special materials and equipment needed. Appended are an overview of IEP requirements and an annotated bibliography of literature concerned with the development of manual communication skills for nonverbal normal hearing severely and profoundly retarded students. (DB)