The degree to which teachers' perceptions of a student can be distorte
d by characteristics indigenous to teachers, as well as students, were
investigated to determine whether teachers would initiate a referral
for special education. Sixty-five teachers volunteered for participati
on. Twenty-seven of them were experienced, having had their own classr
ooms in a public school. Thirty-eight were preservice student teachers
who had not yet had their own classrooms. Teachers were evaluated to
have had either an internal or external locus of control and were judg
ed to have had either a high or low opinion of self according to eithe
r of two separate scales. After viewing two video tapes of two element
ary-aged students (one student was severely emotionally disturbed [SED
] and the other non-SED), teachers rated the children on several child
characteristics and referral questions. Results revealed that the loc
us of control and self-esteem of teachers, in conjunction with teachin
g experience and a child's characteristics, can predict teachers' incl
inations to refer children. Findings point to the need to place greate
r care in the initiation of referrals. (C) 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc
.