Functional Life Skills, Academic Skills, and Friendship/Social Relationship Development: What Do Parents of Students with Moderate/Severe/Profound Disabilities Value?

A pilot study was conducted to verify empirically the educational activity preferences of 68 parents of students with moderate and severe/profound mental disabilities. Parents were surveyed to determine the relative value they place on the three areas of functional life skills, academic skills, and friendship/social relationship development in the educational programs of their sons/daughters. Parents of students with moderate disabilities rated functional life skills most highly, while parents of students with severe/profound disabilities rated friendship/social relationship development most highly. Furthermore, parents of students with moderate disabilities rated each curricular area as more important than did parents of students with severe/profound disabilities.