Professional role performance difficulties experienced by 23 first year itinerant specialists in the field of special education were studied in Illinois public schools (excluding Chicago). An itinerant specialist is a teacher with specialized training in a particular disability who provides services to students on a homebound basis, in a hospital program, or who travels between schools within a district or between school districts. Of the 23 respondents, 14 were speech and language therapists, 3 taught the physically handicapped, 5 taught the hearing impaired, and 1 taught the visually impaired. Data were obtained concerning difficulties unique to the teaching assignment and difficulties associated with seven general professional roles of the teachers. These seven roles are as follows: planner, director and helper of learning, counselor and guide to students, mediator and interpreter of the culture, link with the community, member of the teaching profession, and member of the school community. Greatest difficulties were reported for the activity of writing individual educational programs and for the roles of "teacher as planner" and "teacher as a link with the community." Recommendations include the following: master teachers should supervise preservice students in a role-difficulty practicum; and university professors should include the seven role performance areas in teacher preservice programs. (SEW)