Attitudes of High School Students toward their Classmates with Severe Disabilities: a Pilot Study

Calls to expand inclusive education for students with severe disabilities are pervasive throughout recent policy and research initiatives. The perspectives of peers without disabilities on such inclusion are an important vantage point to understand, particularly at the high school level. In this pilot study, we examined the attitudes of 44 high school peers who were enrolled in general education classes with students with severe disabilities. Overall, these peers reported fairly high levels of exposure and contact with students with severe disabilities. Moreover, they largely endorsed positive attitudes towards adolescents with severe disabilities and inclusion. However, significant gender differences were found, with females demonstrating more positive attitudes than males. We discuss implications for research and practice focused on enhancing positive attitudes toward and relationships among students with and without severe disabilities at the high school level.