Disability simulations and information: techniques for modifying the attitudes of elementary school music students

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of different presentation formats (information and simulation) on the attitudes of elementary music students toward children with special needs. A questionnaire was initially administered to 11 elementary music classes (N = 198). Examination showed a 0.86 difference between highest and lowest rated disabilities on 6-point scale on the first administration. Females showed slightly more favorable attitudes than males for each of the 6 disability categories. Rank ordering indicated an identical ranking between genders with Learning Disabilities most accepted and Visual Impairments least accepted. Prior to the second administration, classes received different preparations: (a) information-based, (b) simulation-based, (c) contact-control. Results of the second administration showed no significant difference among treatment groups on gain scores with only a slight increase noted for the simulation-based treatment.