A needs assessment determined the need for independent living skills for high school students with severe disabilities, as perceived by the students (n=45), their parents (n=38) and their teachers (n=7). Results revealed that the students believed that their lives were steadily improving, that they were more satisfied than dissatisfied with the quality of their lives, and that they expected to be happier in the future. Students expressed greater satisfaction than their parents perceived they were experiencing. Students' strongest interests were in social activities, followed by physical sports and home management. A greater percentage of parents than students perceived finding a job, managing money, and problem solving as areas of need; a large percentage in both groups identified filling out forms as a priority. Regardless of educational classification, the students and their parents perceived that the students had the greatest need for development in social/community adaptation and problem-solving skills. Parents were also found to have needs for programming, especially in the area of setting goals for their children and utilizing community resources, while teachers indicated that a number of independent living skill areas were not sufficiently covered in existing curricula. (Author/JDD)