The booklet describes the efforts planned by the Washington Research Organization (UWRO) to study ways in which generalization of skills may be facilitated by severely retarded individuals. It is explained that activities of UWRO are organized around four major tasks: descriptive and laboratory research; research in natural educational settings; evaluation; and communication about ongoing studies, procedures, and products. The circular administrative structure of UWRO is diagramed and makeup of the advisory committee described. A section of basic research concepts focuses on such topics as skill generalization, instructional programming for generalization, and methodological aspects. Four approaches to generalization are proposed: an ecological approach to describing and then altering conditions within the educational environment; a performance pattern approach to describing and matching individual learning characteristics and instructional techniques; a self-control approach in which severely handicapped students learn to manage their own behavior; and a cognitive strategy approach that focuses on helping students use higher order levels of thinking. Each of the approaches is described in terms of background and purpose of studies, design of studies, and expected outcomes and products. (CL)