Teachers' attitudes toward students with epilepsy: results of a survey of elementary and middle school teachers.

This article describes an effort to increase and expand the limited current understanding of teachers' attitudes toward epilepsy. A survey was conducted among 135 elementary and middle school teachers in the state of Kentucky regarding their attitudes toward persons with epilepsy. The survey included an indirect, error-choice attitude measurement scale, the Test of Knowledge about Epilepsy (KAE). In addition, information about demographic and professional preparation was obtained from the participants for the purpose of examining whether these variables predicted attitude scores. The teachers' scores on the KAE ranged from -12 to +18. The mean score was 2.87 (SD=6.50). More years of teaching experience and experience teaching a student with epilepsy predicted KAE scores. The results are discussed in terms of their implications for the need for further research and the development of effective teacher education interventions.