Computer based learning has enjoyed an increasing role in mainstream education with the development of more powerful personal computers available at a lower price. This articlereviews work on a specific form of computer software, virtual environments. It aims to illustrate the potential of this computer application in the education and rehabilitation of people with intellectual disabilities. Virtual environments appear to be a fruitful method of teaching skills for independent living to people with intellectual disabilities. Initial studies demonstrate that learning in this way transfers to the real life situation in which the skills are required. However, to effectively exploit their educational potential, interaction with virtual environments needs to be guided. This can be done using a human tutor and a software tutor and preliminary findings from current research suggest guidelines for the effective employment of both. Future directions involve ensuring the availability of the software, making the technology accessible to a wider range of users and researching staff support to ensure that use is facilitated and that this technology is appropriately exploited.