Beyond Extra Help: Understanding Specially Designed Instruction in Special Education

Specially Designed Instruction is a vital element to a student with a disability reaching success on their educational journey.

Welcome to Part 5 of our Multi-Part Series “Tips & Tricks for Parents Navigating the Special Education Process”. This part of our series focuses on Specially Designed Instruction. We will dive into… 

• What is Specially Designed Instruction (SDI)?

• Why is SDI Important?

• Who is Involved in SDI?

• Examples & Ways to Provide SDI

What is Specially Designed Instruction? 

For the sake of this blog, we are going to add another acronym into the mix today. Specially designed instruction or SDI, is defined by IDEA as… 

Definition of Specially Designed Instruction (SDI) from IDEA: Modifying instruction to meet the unique needs of eligible children with disabilities, ensuring their access to the general curriculum and meeting educational standards.

Let’s break this down and put it into terms we can all understand. You know by now that there is nothing we love more than a metaphor to break these complex, special education terms down with.

Imagine the general education curriculum as the outfit in a store that a majority of people will fit into. A person tries it on and it is the right fit in the shoulders, the perfect length, and an ideal material. Nothing about it in that first try on, screams; alterations or adjustments are needed. This is like the general education curriculum. It is a way of instruction and content that is a “one size fits all” - most of the time.  However, what about those that are not included in the “one size fits all”. This is where we get into SDI. A person who requires SDI is the person who tries on the outfit and the length needs to be taken up, waist taken in, and a more breathable material. This is all necessary for that person to be comfortable and successful, just as the “one size fits all” person felt when they first tried on their outfit.

The alterations of the length and waist, along with transitioning to a more breathable material can be thought of as the modifications SDI provides. The outfit is the general curriculum, while the modifications to the outfit is SDI. Without those modifications to the outfit- a person will trip on the pant length, top will be hanging off without the waist taken in, and constantly be irritated by the material. All the while, the one size fits all goes about their day, business as usual. 

SDI - Modification of General Curriculum!

Why is SDI Important? 

A student who receives special education services is receiving SDI. They are being provided content, curriculum, and instruction in a modified way that meets the student's unique needs. It ensures that students with disabilities have an equitable opportunity to not only access the general curriculum but also be successful in it. 

Providing SDI to students with disabilities not only follows IDEA regulations but provides students to be successful in the general curriculum.

Who is Involved in SDI? 

Oftentimes, it is thought that a Special Educator is the only one involved in SDI. However, this is not the case. Collaboration is absolutely necessary to appropriately provide SDI. Why, you might ask? Well, think of it this way: if a general educator and special educator are not communicating about what the general curriculum involves, how can the special educator appropriately modify it? A special educator and a general educator need to plan and discuss what is being taught in the general curriculum. This does not mean it has to be a long-winded conversation on every aspect of every day, although for some, this might be a method that works. Finding the groove for what works between you and who you teach with is most important. I find that a common planning time or time to discuss the following week’s plans provides an opportunity to anticipate what is on the agenda next and exchange instructional materials, in order to modify them appropriately based on the student. This is a system that allows me to be prepared effectively as a special educator and ensure my students are also set up for success. 

The team is made up of the teachers. The dream is the student's success. It can be made a reality when the team works together!

Ways to Provide SDI

Just as modifications to the outfit were made, modifications to the general curriculum can be made. You might ask, does every student need the same modifications? No, of course not. That would be like saying every person needs the same modifications to an outfit by the tailor- if that were the case, would you even need to try it on when you go to the tailor shop? 

SDI is a uniquely designed instruction to meet each child’s individual needs. Therefore, the modifications SDI demands are decided on a case-by-case basis and immensely vary based on the student’s unique needs.

Examples of SDI versus General Curriculum 

Below are some examples of how SDI might be implemented based on a task or a student’s need. 

Task	SDI
Word Reading/Decoding	Explicit, systematic phonics instruction with an alternative program that differs from the general curriculum. An Orton Gillingham based program, as an example, could be used.  Additional instruction in the general curriculum on phonics is not SDI, it is an accommodation. The explicit instruction features a targeted approach to understand and apply reading skills based on the student’s needs.
Weak Executive Functioning Skills	Explicit instruction in planning, prioritizing, and using a planner, checklist, timer, etc. to support task completion.  Providing the student with a planner, checklist, timer, etc. is not SDI; it is an accommodation. This example of SDI is considered to be SDI because there is an EXPLICIT instruction on HOW to plan, prioritize, and use these tools.
Writing Organization	Explicit instruction, modeling, and guided practice using sentence starters, graphic organizers, paragraph structure, etc.  SDI aims at teaching the student the process of writing.
Social Emotional Support to Access Learning	Explicit instruction to teach a student coping strategies or self-regulation techniques, such as how to identify when they need to use a technique and how to appropriately use the technique, such as a calm down corner, breathing techniques, zones of regulation, etc. Allowing a student to take breaks, such as a calm down corner, is not SDI because it is not instructing the student on how to identify when they need to use a strategy and how to use a technique. Allowing the student to access a break area is an accommodation, rather than SDI.
Student Needs Help with Communication/Social Awareness Skills	Directly teaching social skills through a social story, identifying nonverbal cues, understanding social norms, or practicing conversations in structured settings.

Additional Tips & Tricks 

1. SDI is a modification, not an accommodation! We will be diving deeper into what this means in an upcoming blog. 

2. All educational stakeholders need to be involved in SDI. Collaboration and conversation need to take place between all stakeholders for the effective implementation of SDI. 

3. SDI = Special Education (IDEA says it!)