Specially Designed Instruction
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The core of special education is the specially designed instruction (SDI) a student receives. Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) defines special education services as “specially designed instruction, at no cost to the parents, to meet the unique needs of a child with a disability” (34 CFR 300.39).
SDI is the special education service(s) a student needs, in addition to general education, because of an identified disability. The SDI is tailored specifically to address the impact the disability has on a student’s learning. It is designed to ensure access of the child to the general curriculum and to enable the child to meet Individualized Education Program (IEP) annual goals.
In Texas, the Admission, Review, and Dismissal (ARD) committee determines the specially designed instruction needed for each student as part of the IEP. Even though many professionals across our state are responding to the educational needs of diverse students with innovative practices and increasingly flexible methods of teaching, the requirement for delivering SDI still exists. Exemplary practices of general education are not a substitute for specially designed instruction (Musgrove 2012).
The guide includes resources that help teachers understand, develop, implement, and evaluate the specially designed instruction (SDI) students with disabilities need to access and progress in the general curriculum. In addition, it clarifies concepts related to, but distinct from, specially designed instruction, including accommodations, modifications, and high-yield instructional strategies.
Resources