Every child who has an Individualized Educational Program (IEP) should receive Specially Designed Instruction (SDI) in school.  SDI may seem like a complicated topic. However, at The EduAdvocate Allies we use the teacup to explain what SDI is. The saucer represents the Individualized Educational Program (IEP). An IEP is a document that has a lot of information about a student including their strengths, learning challenges, learning goals, and the supports and services needed so the student can learn the general education curriculum and make progress toward their goals. The IEP serves as the foundation for SDI.

In this graphic, progress monitoring is the largest part because teachers should continually review student progress when planning SDI. This means closely examining students’ classwork and test scores to determine how well they are learning both the general education curriculum (steam) and their IEP Goals (steam).  Progress monitoring results guide instruction: if a student is not making progress, making too little progress, or has already mastered the goal, the teacher adapts the content, methods, or delivery to meet the student’s needs. Accommodations (teacup handle) change how students access the curriculum or demonstrate learning, allowing them to make meaningful progress.

Simply put, SDI is instruction where a teacher adapts what they teach and how they teach to make sure students with disabilities are successful in school. If you notice your child isn’t making the progress you expected, speak with their teacher about the Specially Designed Instruction. Together, you can review what’s working, what might need to change, and how to best support your child’s learning.