Teachers’ Efforts and Barriers to Implementing Empirically-Based Practices in Addressing Disability Stigma

Stigmatization of students with disabilities leads to adverse long-term effects and teachers experience challenges implementing empirically-based practices to address this stigma. This study explored teachers’ efforts to address stigma in the classroom and barriers to implementing such efforts. The Disability Stigma Perspectives and Practice (DSPP) survey was completed electronically by 330 teachers from a school district. Descriptive analysis revealed that 90 percent of teachers reported attempts to address stigma, with social contact based practices being most frequently endorsed. Additionally, descriptive analysis indicated that the most commonly reported barriers to implementing empirically-based practices to address stigma included constraints of time, materials, class size, and feeling overwhelmed. The implications of these findings for school psychologists, administrators, and educational institutions in providing the appropriate support for teachers to successfully implement strategies to reduce stigma are discussed.