The authors describe an electronically programed learning environment for early education of children with severe developmental retardation which is designed to demonstrate that such children can learn when instructional variables are clearly specified and controlled. Discussed are behavioral characteristics of severaly retarded children (such as little or no vocal behavior); the layout of a programed environment classroom; the design of an automated curriculum (conceived as a common set of sequential and increasingly more complex tasks that become learner specific when performance data direct the programer to initiate an appropriate program revision strategy); the general training sequence (involving tasks such as group and pull motions); the performance of a 9-year-old child on a two-choice visual discrimination task, and the functions of the point-touch-press response in other nonautomated teacher activities and environments. Appended are diagrams of the programed environment project's learning environment, automated control system, and of the general training sequence for the automated curriculum. (LS)