A study examined the effects of students' intellectual and physical characteristics on the nonverbal behavior of vocational teachers. During the study, 30 female vocational typing teachers were randomly assigned to teach a five-minute minilesson to 15 handicapped students and 15 students who were not handicapped. Both high- and low-achieving students were included in each of the two test groups. Videotapes focusing on the teachers' nonverbal behaviors were filmed during all of the teacher and student interactions. Based on an analysis of the videotapes by three experts, it would seem that, by an overwhelming margin, teachers displayed more positive nonverbal behaviors toward the nonhandicapped and high-achieving students than toward the handicapped and low-achieving students. Handicapped students received the most negative nonverbal behavior. These findings underscore the need for educators to study the nature and implications of nonverbal behavior from the perspective of its role as a communicative link between teacher and student. (MN)