This research aimed to identify the psychosocial characteristics of the process of teacher education, specifically the initial contact with teaching practices with students with disabilities. Participants were 70 undergraduate students of Physical Education. It was used observation, group interviews and documental analyses. From content analyses, the data indicated three psychosocial characteristics of this process: attribution of social origin for the difficulties experienced in the relationship; presence of strong subjective mobilization, and need for mediation to deal with perception of imbalance between prior knowledge and the reality of work. The study revealed the need for future teachers to discuss the issue of disability and shift their perceptions from difficult to the student with disabilities possibilities. The results indicate the essential role of all, teachers, the student with disabilities and the knowledge produced in mediating between the undergraduate students and pedagogical activity to be developed.
special education; students with disabilities; teacher training.