SDI Special Education Strategies: A Comprehensive Guide

Specially Designed Instruction (SDI) forms a cornerstone of special education, ensuring that students with disabilities receive the tailored support they need to thrive academically and beyond. This article delves into the intricacies of SDI, exploring its purpose, design, implementation, and differentiation from other instructional approaches.

Introduction to Specially Designed Instruction

In accordance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), students with disabilities are entitled to an education in the least restrictive environment, with access to the general education curriculum to the "maximum extent appropriate." SDI bridges the gap for learners who require accommodations, modifications, interventions, and supports that go beyond core instruction. The ultimate goal of SDI is to empower these students to meet the same academic standards as their peers by providing them with the necessary resources and targeted instruction, as outlined in their Individualized Education Program (IEP).

Defining the Essence of SDI

Specially designed instruction (SDI) is systematic, purposefully planned instruction to meet an individual’s unique learning needs. SDI should be explicitly explained in the student’s IEP so the team is aware of the student’s unique needs and how to help them achieve their goals. According to Marilyn Friend, “SDI is what makes special education ‘special.’”

Key Features of SDI:

Delivered by qualified special education teachers or related service providers.
Planned, organized, and meaningful instruction delivered explicitly, intentionally, and systematically.
Implemented in any location, consistent with the student’s IEP and least restrictive environment.
Directly addresses the goals in the student’s IEP, designed to enable the student to achieve grade-level content standards or close the learning gap.
Specific instruction tailored to the student, distinct from differentiated instruction, accommodations, or active learning strategies for all students.
Closely monitored to ensure the intended results, such as a reduction in the learning gap, are being achieved.
Addresses any area of individual need, including academic, behavioral, social, communication, health, and functional skills.
Maintains high standards and expectations for the student.

Designing and Implementing SDI

Only qualified professionals, such as special education teachers and related service providers, should design SDI. These professionals have specialized training in the student’s area of need. All IEP team members contribute necessary information when planning SDI. Qualified professionals rely on feedback from parents, teachers, therapists, and other specialists to develop and adjust the SDI. Gaining a holistic view of the student’s strengths, needs, and areas of improvement is central to the development of SDI. Paraprofessionals and other team members can assist in delivering the SDI if under the supervision of a special education teacher or qualified professional.

The design of SDI involves adapting the content the student will learn, allowing the learner to work toward achieving the same grade‑level standards as their peers. Another way qualified professionals create SDI is by adapting the methodology of instruction. Methodology refers to the specific instructional strategies, techniques, programs, and approaches used to assist the student with achieving the IEP goal. If the instructional strategy, technique, program, or approach is used with the entire class, it is not SDI. For example, if a learner’s disability impacts their reading comprehension, the teacher can provide them with assistance through instruction in the use of graphic organizers. The educator might begin with modeling the use of a graphic organizer to help a student organize their thoughts and summarize what they have read. For example, if the standard focuses on three‑digit addition, one option is to adapt the content and instruction by using one‑to‑one instruction. The focus would be placed on how to solve these addition problems using manipulatives.

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SDI vs. Differentiated Instruction

On the surface, SDI sounds just like differentiated instruction. Differentiated instruction focuses on ensuring all students have opportunities to learn in ways that reflect their needs, interests, strengths, and learning styles. Differentiated instruction supports students’ success across subject areas and grade levels.

Key Differences:

Feature	Specially Designed Instruction (SDI)	Differentiated Instruction
Legal Mandate	Defined and guaranteed by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and implemented in accordance with an individualized education program (IEP).	Not mandated by law; a general education practice.
Target Audience	Students with disabilities who require specific, individualized support to access and progress in the general education curriculum.	All students, addressing diverse learning needs, styles, and interests within a general education classroom.
Focus	Teaches specific skills a student does not have but needs to access and progress in the general education curriculum.	Adapts teaching methods and materials to suit different learning styles and levels of understanding.
Individualization	Highly individualized, tailored to the specific needs and goals outlined in a student's IEP.	Addresses a range of learning needs within a group, but not as intensely individualized as SDI.
Provider	Must be delivered by a qualified special education teacher or related service provider.	Typically implemented by the general education teacher.
Intensity of Support	Students who receive SDI need sustained intensive support in order to maintain adequate rates of progress.	Provides varying levels of support, but generally less intensive than SDI.
Location	Delivered in the student’s LRE, which may be a location other than the general education classroom.	Primarily delivered in the general education classroom.
Assessment	Assessment practices used in general education classrooms such as formative assessment, screening, and progress monitoring are used.	Assessment practices used in general education classrooms such as formative assessment, screening, and progress monitoring are used.

SDI vs. Core Instruction and Interventions

Specially designed instruction differs from core instruction and interventions in the following ways:

Specially designed instruction is defined and guaranteed by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and implemented in accordance with an individualized education program (IEP);
SDI teaches specific skills a student does not have but needs to access and progress in the general education curriculum;
SDI is individualized, i.e., it is specific to the student;
SDI must be delivered by a qualified special education teacher or related service provider;
Students who receive SDI need sustained intensive support in order to maintain adequate rates of progress;
Students who receive SDI may also receive instructional and testing accommodations;
It is delivered in the student’s LRE, which may be a location other than the general education classroom.

Specially designed instruction is similar to core instruction and interventions in these ways:

It is aligned with the standards and instructional expectations for all students;
It may be delivered in the general education classroom;
It may be implemented together with general education strategies such as differentiation, universal design for learning, school-wide positive behavior supports;
Assessment practices used in general education classrooms such as formative assessment, screening, and progress monitoring are used.

Examples of SDI in Various Domains

The range of instructional activities that can be considered SDI is limited only by the presenting learning, behavioral, social, physical, health and other needs of students with IEPs. That being said, we present a number of examples to show how SDI differs from regular classroom instruction.

Reading: Specialized instruction might be delivering a specialized reading program such as Phonics Boost or Blast, Wilson Reading, S.P.I.R.E. or another Orton Gilliam based approach. Or it might involve implementation of Data Based Individualization, a research-based process for individualizing and intensifying interventions through the systematic use of assessment data, validated interventions and research-based adaptation strategies. DBI is not limited to reading. It a process that can be used to support students with severe and persistent learning and/or behavioral needs.

Learning Strategies: Learning strategies are one type of specialized instruction that has been shown to be effective for learners with disabilities. Learning strategies are the principles, procedures or rules for solving problems and independently completing tasks. (Friend & Bursuck, 2012) One particularly effective and simple learning strategy for teaching concepts, vocabulary or procedures that must be memorized is cover-copy-compare (CCC). As described by Riccomini, Stocker and Morano, implementation of CCC to teach computational fluency in mathematics would include creating a set of flash cards for a particular operation; using the flash cards to assess the student’s fluency; developing flash card subsets for fluent, known and unknown facts; teaching the student to use the cover-copy-compare strategy; providing opportunities for practice with corrective feedback; monitoring the student’s progress; and adapting the flash card subsets based on the student’s progress.

Behavioral Strategies: Many effective strategies are also available to teach expected behaviors. Specially designed instruction for students who have difficulty expressing their feelings, including students with autism, may include teaching students to use comic strip generators, such as Make Beliefs Comix. Visual supports, such as WAIT Cards, have been used successfully for students who have difficulty with impulse control. The Power Card Strategy can be effective in teaching behavioral expectations, routines, the meaning of language, cause and effect and other social skills to higher functioning students with autism. Consisting of a brief scenario or character sketch describing how a hero solves and problem and a “power card” describing how the student can use the same strategy to solve a similar problem, it can also be fun and engaging for both the teacher and the student. The Incredible Five Point Scale (Buron & Curtis) is a tool to help students understand and regulate their anxiety related behaviors. Instruction in organizing, planning, self-monitoring and self-advocacy are yet other examples of specially designed instruction. Other examples of widely used evidence-based learning strategies include:STOP (Boyle & Walker Seibert, 1997) for phonemic awareness, phonics or decoding;DRAW (C.A. Harris, Miller, & Mercer, 1995) for math calculations;SCROL (Grant, 1993) and POSSE (Englert, 2009) for reading comprehension;CAP (Mercer, Jordan & Miller, 1996) for algebra problem solving;TASSEL (Minskoff & Allsopp, 2003) for on-task behavior during class;WATCH (Reid & Lienemann, 2006) for study skills;SPLASH (Simmonds, Luchow, Kaminsky, & Cottone, 1989) for test taking

For students who are blind or visually impaired: specially designed instruction could include instruction in the use of Braille or specific technology to access content or provide responses and orientation and mobility training.

For students who are deaf or hearing impaired: it could consist of a) oral methods-the use of hearing Assistive technology (AT), such as cochlear implants and hearing aids, along with training to learn to use residual hearing and speech read; (b) manual methods - the use of ASL, a visual-gestural language that has its own grammar and syntax; and (c) simultaneous communication methods - signs are produced in the same order as spoken words and at the same time as the words are spoken.

Tools and Resources for SDI

Unique Learning System offers built-in research- and evidence-based instructional methodologies that support specially designed instruction from pre‑K through transition. Its comprehensive lesson plans include systematic instructional practices, prompting hierarchy, modeling, and scaffolding. Teachers can quickly adjust their instruction according to each student’s unique needs, which is an important reason why students respond to it. From direct and explicit, teacher‑led instruction to effectively introducing, modeling, and reinforcing concepts, scaffolded instructional supports in Unique Learning System promote active student engagement. Its thematic units focus on standards‑aligned instruction and provide age‑appropriate materials.

A guidance document developed by the SDI Workgroup through the NYSED Regional Special Education Technical Assistance Support Center (RSE-TASC) explains specially designed instruction and walks special educators through the process of selecting specially designed instruction, i.e., what the teacher teaches, and supplementary aids and services, i.e., what the student needs, in the most common areas of instructional need. Topics covered include: nonverbal communication, listening comprehension, expressive language/oral expression, voice, fluency, receptive language, pragmatics, basic reading, reading comprehension, written language, math calculation and reasoning, task completion/on-task behavior, following directions, rate/speed of work, following a schedule, attendance, organization, working independently, decision-making, self-evaluation, social competence, and physical functioning.

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