Changing attitudes of nonhandicapped elementary students toward their handicapped peers

This study was conducted in response to PL94-142's mandate for mainstreaming of handicapped students. One available mainstreaming strategy, known as Kids on the Block (KOTB), was the focus of this study. KOTB consists of a troupe of life-sized puppets, each with a different handicapping condition. The presentation included demonstrations and discussions about typical problems facing these handicapped puppets, including the modeling of more appropriate behaviors toward them. The intent of KOTB was to improve the attitudes of nonhandicapped students toward their handicapped peers. A quasi-experimental design was employed, consisting of 213 fourth-grade students from 12 intact classrooms. The subjects, all from suburban public schools, were split into one of three groups: (a) the treatment group, which viewed the Kids on the Block presentation; (b) control group I, which received a lecture on the handicapped; and (c) control group II, which was exposed to neither the presentation nor the lecture. The PATHS--Peer Attitudes Toward the Handicapped Scale--was administered at a pretest, then again following the performance (posttest I), and a third time at a six-week interval (posttest II). The primary hypothesis was that KOTB, when compared to control groups, would produce attitude change of nonhandicapped students toward their handicapped peers. Analysis of the data provided little support for the use of Kids on the Block as a primary strategy for promoting attitude change. Contrary to stated hypotheses, Kids on the Block adjusted mean scores different significantly only from control group II, but not from the group exposed to the lecture, at posttest I. At posttest II, no significant differences between any of the three groups existed, as the treatment group mean regressed to a point approximating the other groups. This study raises serious questions about the cost-effectiveness of Kids on the Block, especially since Kids on the Block did not appear any more effective than a lecture insofar as attitude change was concerned. The need for a more integrated curriculum is suggested, including follow-up reinforcement activities that provide direct exposure to the handicapped. Recommendations for future research are presented.