A research and demonstration computer center for severely handicapped autistic children, STEPPE-Lab, which uses computers as an augmentative communication and instructional system, is described. The article first reviews the keyboard, joystick, mouse, and drawing tablet as augmentative devices for helping communication disordered children interact more meaningfully with their environment. Noted is the lack of empirical software appropriate for this population. The software packages developed by STEPPE are discussed with information on curriculum areas and perceptual motor skills emphasized. Also considered are the logic and requirements for evaluating the content validity of commercial software from an empirical perspective. Guidelines are offered for marshalling political support for computer demonstration centers. Five long-term goals for the project are identified, including issues of overselective responding and generalization. (CL)