The paper reports on results of a questionnaire completed by 166 parents of trainable mentally retarded students and compares results to those of a study performed 5 years earlier. Items focused on parental expectations for their adult child in employment, leisure activities, and living circumstances, and asked parents to indicate from among 15 skill areas those three most important for their child. Parents generally expected their children to be living at home or in a sheltered group home and expected them to participate in specially designed activities for trainable retarded children. The leisure activity expectations of parents represent a shift from the 1979 survey, which indicated that more parents expected their children to participate in independent activities. Communication, self-help skills, and reading were ranked the highest among 15 skill areas in both 1979 and 1984 studies. Additional questions addressed parent-school communication, parent attitudes toward the Identification, Placement, and Review Committee, and parent participation in counseling regarding their child's education. (CL)