1. The Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) requires IEP teams to consider the effect of a given disability on a child’s performance and identify each child’s unique strengths, preferences, interests, and needs to develop specially designed instruction. This is what makes special education different from providing general accommodations. Review the “Special Education” and the “Section 300.39 Special Education” topic Resources and describe the three major components that IDEA requires teams to include in the IEP to adequately address specially designed instruction. Explain why you think the law requires teams to explicitly describe specially designed instruction that is different from the instruction provided to all students. In replies to peers, support or refute the ideas presented using the topic Resources, your own research, and specific, real-world examples.
2. Once a student meets the requirements for eligibility for services, special education teachers use the characteristics and best practices defined by research and the results of the evaluation and informal measures to plan specially designed instruction. Specially designed instruction may include changes to the content that will be taught, changes to the methodology or instructional strategies used to support the student, and changes to the delivery of instruction. Explain how understanding the characteristics of disability eligibility categories can assist teachers in planning specially designed instruction to meet the unique needs of students. Include a real-world example to support your ideas. In replies to peers provide and discuss additional examples that support the ideas presented.
3. Demographics and needs vary from state to state and district to district. Research the trends and prevalence of disability categories being served in your state and describe them to the class. Explain where you located this information and discuss what you can conclude about the needs of students in your state based upon this information. Explain how knowing this type of information can help you plan instruction to maximize the learning of all students. In replies to peers, discuss trends, or lack of trends, in the types of disability prevalence and explain why you think these similarities/differences occur from state to state.
4. Each state department of education provides resources intended for parent training and information. These organizations provide advocacy services and community resources and supports. The contact information for these centers are located in a document, Procedural Safeguards, given to parents/guardians annually, and when there is a critical change in services or placement.
1. Three Major Components of IEPs for SDI:
The Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) mandates that IEP teams consider a child’s unique needs and develop specially designed instruction (SDI). Here are the three major components required in IEPs to address SDI effectively:
Why Explicit Description of SDI is Required:
The law mandates explicit descriptions of SDI because it’s fundamentally different from general accommodations. General accommodations might involve extended time on tests or preferential seating, which are broad strategies that can benefit all students.
In contrast, SDI is individualized and targeted to address a child’s specific disability and learning needs. For instance, a student with dyslexia might require instruction that incorporates multisensory learning activities (seeing, hearing, touching) to improve reading comprehension. This wouldn’t be a typical teaching method for all students, but specifically designed to address the challenges of dyslexia.
By explicitly outlining SDI, the IEP ensures that the instruction provided is truly tailored to the student and goes beyond basic accommodations. This promotes focused intervention and maximizes the student’s potential for learning and growth.