Functional curricula are intended to facilitate the development of age-appropriate skills that are essential for participation of individuals with autism within a diversity of integrated environments. When one is considering which skills to teach, the longitudinal process of promoting increased independence throughout life must be considered, and no instructional inferences should be made. For those persons unable to acquire a skill, individualized adaptations can be developed to assist in performing skills at the maximum level of independence. Teaching the following work behaviors to persons with autism is essential to longitudinal planning: communication, rate and production, accuracy and quality, social skills, and self-management. Functional, longitudinal program planning can be facilitated by thinking of the individual in his/her future environments and then defining the priorities and behaviors needed for independent functioning in those future environments. (Contains 13 references.) (JDD)