Teacher attitude toward the elementary exceptional child

A factorial study was carried out to assess attitudes of elementary teachers toward exceptional children, grades 1-6, in Bensenville , Illinois, U. S. A. A 25-item attitude scale (questionnaire) was designed. Each item was responded to a 5-point Likert-type scale. Teachers indicated extent of their agreement or disagreement that described their attitudes toward the exceptional child. Ten dimensions underlying teachers' attitudes toward the exceptional child were isolated. Attitudes occur primarily on items associated with four factors: effects of exceptional child in the classroom; teacher anxiety; teachers' perception of exceptional child; teachers' conditions for accepting exceptional child. About one-third of the teachers agreed to the items in the four factors. The results showed that teachers perceived their inability to work with certain exceptionalities due to lack of knowledge, impositions , and anxieties. They accepted the mildly retarded but rejected the physically handicapped, severely handicapped, and emotionally disturbed. Implications of the study to develop teachers' positive attitudes are: increased experience, contact with exceptional children, specific skill acquisition, and supportive assistance.