Statistical characteristics of a signal of the shearing interferometer when recording of the laser radiation propagating through the turbulent atmosphere have been theoretically investigated. Analytic relationships for the statistical moments of the shearing interferometer signal under the various conditions for optical radiation propagation through the turbulent atmosphere are derived. New methods for processing of the shearing interferometer signal are proposed. These methods allow one to decrease distorting effect due to atmospheric turbulence when reconstructing the initial field distribution.