The manual lists those skills considered critical for independent living of severely handicapped persons from elementary to senior high school. The skills are intended to help serve as guidelines in selecting and developing appropriate curriculum and Individualized Education Program objectives. The skills are grouped according to their general focus within each of five major life activity areas (sample subtopics in parentheses): (1) domestic life (self care and personal hygiene, social behaviors, housekeeping, cooking); (2) appropriate work-related behaviors (occupational safety, work mobility, working with others); (3) general community living (safety, mobility, community participation); (4) interaction with nonhandicapped persons (self image, interaction with others, behavior in structured settings); and (5) recreation and leisure (turn taking, break time skills, rule following, sportsmanship). (CL)