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Specially designed instruction examples show what the core service of special education looks like in a real classroom: specially designed instruction (SDI) is instruction adapted in its content, methodology or delivery to address the unique needs that result from a student’s disability and to give the student access to the general curriculum. This guide covers the federal definition, how SDI differs from accommodations, modifications and interventions, who can deliver it, examples by area (reading, writing, math, behavior, social communication, executive function, functional skills and autism), how SDI is written in the IEP, and SDI in co-taught classrooms.
Table of contents
Executive Summary
Under IDEA, special education is specially designed instruction, so SDI is the service at the heart of every IEP. In 2024-25, 8.2 million students ages 3 to 21 were served under IDEA, 31% of them under specific learning disabilities. In fall 2024, 68% of school-age students (ages 5 in kindergarten through 21) served spent 80% or more of their day in general classes, so most SDI has to work alongside general education.
The hard part is making SDI distinct from support: a planned, explicit lesson on a skill the student lacks, tied to an IEP goal, delivered often enough to produce progress. Michigan’s 2026 guidance is plain: SDI time is set by the time the instruction needs, not by the student’s class schedule.
Key Takeaways
- SDI is special education: IDEA defines special education as specially designed instruction, at no cost to the parents (34 CFR 300.39(a)(1)).
- SDI has three levers: adapting the content, the methodology or the delivery of instruction (34 CFR 300.39(b)(3)).
- SDI teaches a skill; accommodations give access, modifications change expectations, and general interventions serve any struggling student.
- Who may deliver SDI depends on state rules; in Michigan and Indiana, paraprofessionals reinforce, under supervision, what qualified staff have taught.
- The IEP states SDI as a service with frequency, location and duration (34 CFR 300.320(a)(4) and (a)(7)).
- In co-taught classes, SDI must still be planned, explicit and tied to a goal, not just a second adult in the room.
What Is Specially Designed Instruction?
Specially designed instruction is teaching that a qualified educator adapts for one student, in what is taught, how it is taught or how it is delivered, because the student’s disability creates a need that standard instruction does not meet.
IDEA defines special education 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(a)(1)). The definition of SDI itself, in 34 CFR 300.39(b)(3), reads: “Specially designed instruction means adapting, as appropriate to the needs of an eligible child under this part, the content, methodology, or delivery of instruction”:
- “(i) To address the unique needs of the child that result from the child’s disability; and”
- “(ii) To ensure access of the child to the general curriculum, so that the child can meet the educational standards within the jurisdiction of the public agency that apply to all children.”
SDI aims at the same standards as for all children. It is the instruction behind the goals in the complete guide to IEP goals.
Content, Methodology and Delivery
The Michigan Department of Education’s SDI guidance (May 2026) describes content as the “what,” methodology as the “how,” and delivery as the “who,” “where” and “when.”
| Lever | Question | Example of an adaptation |
|---|---|---|
| Content | What does the student need to learn? | Explicit teaching of a prerequisite skill, such as place value, alongside grade-level fractions |
| Methodology | How will it be taught? | Modeling, guided practice and immediate corrective feedback instead of discovery tasks |
| Delivery | Who, where, when? | A special education teacher with a group of three, daily, inside the general education classroom |
SDI vs Accommodations vs Modifications vs Interventions
| What it does | Decided by | Example | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Specially designed instruction | Teaches a skill the student lacks because of the disability | IEP team, tied to a goal | Explicit decoding lessons in a small group |
| Accommodation | Changes how the student accesses content or shows learning; same expectations | IEP team (or 504 team) | Text-to-speech for a science reading |
| Modification | Changes what the student is expected to learn | IEP team | A lower-level book on the same topic |
| General intervention | Targets a skill deficit in any struggling student, with or without a disability | School team, often through MTSS | A Tier 2 reading group open to all students |
Sources: the IRIS Center and the CCSSO Accessibility Manual (2021). Michigan’s guidance adds that SDI is not “MTSS Tier 3,” not “a place or schedule,” and not “simply providing support or accommodations/modifications.” The Indiana Department of Education’s SDI guidance sums it up: SDI is what the educator does; supplementary aids are what the student uses, such as the IEP accommodations in a student’s plan. The line between accommodations and modifications is explained in accommodations vs modifications.
Who Can Deliver Specially Designed Instruction?
IDEA leaves the details to states. It requires qualifications so that personnel are “appropriately and adequately prepared and trained,” and allows paraprofessionals who are “appropriately trained and supervised, in accordance with State law, regulation, or written policy,” to assist (34 CFR 300.156). Check your state’s rules.
Michigan is one example. Its guidance says SDI “must be designed and supervised by a qualified special education teacher or professional,” that general education teachers “may deliver SDI when it is planned collaboratively and monitored by the IEP Team,” and that a paraprofessional “is not permitted to plan lessons, introduce new content or instructional methods, or replace the special education teacher or related service provider.” Under direct supervision, a paraprofessional can reinforce previously introduced concepts. Indiana’s guidance is similar: a paraprofessional may not “plan, deliver, or lead initial instruction.”
Specially Designed Instruction Examples by Area
These 16 examples are original and illustrative. Each names a need, the adaptation (content, methodology or delivery) and what it looks like in class. Build real SDI from the student’s present levels and goals.
SDI Examples for Reading
| Need | Adaptation | In class |
|---|---|---|
| Cannot decode multisyllable words (dyslexia) | Methodology: explicit, systematic phonics with multisensory practice | Daily 20-minute small group: the teacher models syllable division, the student taps and reads with immediate correction, then reads the words in a grade-level passage |
| Decodes but loses the main idea of grade-level texts | Content and methodology: a taught summarizing strategy with a graphic organizer | The teacher thinks aloud with a model paragraph, the student practices with support, and the organizer fades over weeks |
See reading IEP goals.
Specially Designed Instruction Examples for Writing
| Need | Adaptation | In class |
|---|---|---|
| Writes lists of ideas with no structure | Methodology: explicit instruction in the writing process, starting with planning | The teacher models planning on an organizer; the student plans, drafts with a checklist and revises in a conference |
| Spelling errors block written expression | Content: direct teaching of the spelling patterns the student misses | Five minutes of pattern practice before each writing block, with patterns chosen from the student’s own errors |
Specially Designed Instruction Examples for Math
| Need | Adaptation | In class |
|---|---|---|
| Does not understand fractions as numbers | Methodology: concrete, then pictorial, then symbolic representations | Fraction strips, then number lines, then symbols, taught to a small group during the class lesson |
| Cannot choose an operation in word problems | Content and methodology: direct instruction in a word problem strategy | The student learns to identify the problem type, draw it, then solve, first with the teacher, then alone |
See math IEP goals.
SDI Examples for Behavior
| Need | Adaptation | In class |
|---|---|---|
| Leaves the room when frustrated | Content: direct teaching of a replacement behavior (asking for a break) | Role play in a calm moment, a visual cue on the desk, prompts during work, praise for each independent request |
| Escalates quickly after correction | Methodology: explicit teaching of a calming routine | The routine is taught step by step, rehearsed daily and used with a prompt before correction |
See behavior IEP goals.
SDI Examples for Social Communication
| Need | Adaptation | In class |
|---|---|---|
| Does not know how to join a conversation | Methodology: social scripts and video modeling | The student watches a short model, practices the script with an adult, then with one peer at lunch |
| Answers in single words in discussion | Delivery: guided rehearsal before the whole-class discussion | The teacher prepares one question and a sentence frame with the student, then calls on them |
SDI Examples for Executive Function
| Need | Adaptation | In class |
|---|---|---|
| Cannot start or finish multi-step assignments | Content: explicit instruction in breaking a task into steps | The teacher models chunking an assignment into a checklist; the student does it with support, then alone |
| Does not notice when off task | Methodology: self-monitoring taught and practiced | The student rates their own focus every 10 minutes and compares with the teacher’s rating |
See executive function IEP goals.
SDI Examples for Functional Skills
| Need | Adaptation | In class |
|---|---|---|
| Cannot complete a multi-step daily routine | Methodology: task analysis with a system of least prompts | Visual steps; the adult gives the least help needed at each step and fades it |
| Cannot make a purchase | Content and delivery: money skills taught in class, then practiced at the school store | The student practices counting and paying, then buys a snack with an adult nearby |
See functional IEP goals.
Specially Designed Instruction Examples for Autism
Texas requires IEP teams to consider teaching strategies for students with autism such as “discrete-trial training, visual supports, applied behavior analysis, structured learning, augmentative communication, or social skills training,” and its guidance stresses there is no “one-size-fits-all” approach.
| Need | Adaptation | In class |
|---|---|---|
| Cannot request help or a break | Methodology: augmentative communication taught in natural routines | The adult creates real moments to request and models the request on the student’s device |
| Distress at schedule changes | Content: explicit teaching of how to use a visual schedule, including change cards | The student practices checking the schedule and moving a change card before a real change happens |
See IEP goals for autism.
How SDI Is Written in the IEP
The IEP must include “a statement of the special education and related services” (34 CFR 300.320(a)(4)) and “the anticipated frequency, location, and duration of those services,” with a start date (34 CFR 300.320(a)(7)). Michigan’s guidance lists type, frequency, duration and location, and notes that Part B does not require the IEP to name specific teachers, materials or methodology.
Example service statements:
- “Specially designed instruction in reading (decoding): 30 minutes, 5 times per week, special education teacher, small group in the resource room, from [start date] to [end date].”
- “Specially designed instruction in math problem solving: 20 minutes, 3 times per week, special education teacher, within the general education math class, from [start date] to [end date].”
Each SDI statement should trace back to a need in the present levels and forward to a measurable goal.
SDI in Co-Taught and Inclusive Classrooms
With two thirds of school-age students served under IDEA spending most of their day in general classes, much SDI happens in co-taught or inclusive settings. Indiana’s guidance describes special and general education teachers working together “to plan, design, and implement” SDI. A co-taught class does not deliver SDI by itself. Three tests help:
- Is there a planned objective tied to this student’s IEP goal? If the second adult only circulates, it is support.
- Is the instruction explicit and different from what peers receive? Modeling a strategy for a small group during independent work is SDI; repeating the whole-class directions is not.
- Is data recorded? SDI should show up in goal progress, not only in attendance.
Funding and Staffing
| Source | What it supports | Note |
|---|---|---|
| IDEA Part B | Special education, which is SDI, and related services | Provided at no cost to parents |
| IDEA CEIS (up to 15% of Part B) | Academic and behavioral interventions for K-12 students not identified, emphasis K-3 | Funds interventions, not SDI for students with IEPs |
| Local and state funds | Staff, training, instructional materials | Cooperatives such as TIPS can simplify purchasing |
Sources: 34 CFR 300.39 and 34 CFR 300.226. Staffing is the constraint: the Learning Policy Institute’s 2026 overview shows 45 states reporting shortages in special education in 2024-25, and SDI must be designed by qualified staff.
Common Mistakes District Leaders Make
- Writing “support in general education” as SDI. SDI is not a place or a second adult; it is instruction.
- Naming a program instead of the instruction. Indiana’s guidance lists “naming a specific program that replaces a special education service” among what SDI is not.
- Letting paraprofessionals introduce new content where state rules reserve it for qualified staff.
- Setting minutes by the bell schedule. Minutes should follow the time the instruction needs.
- Calling Tier 3 intervention SDI. SDI is designed by the IEP team for the student’s disability-related needs.
- Lowering expectations. SDI targets access to the standards that apply to all children.
- No link to data. SDI that is never measured against a goal cannot be adjusted.
Recommended Actions
- Audit a sample of service pages for SDI statements that name the skill, type, frequency, location and duration.
- Publish a district definition of SDI based on 34 CFR 300.39(b)(3) and your state’s guidance, with examples of what it is not.
- Clarify roles in writing: who designs, delivers and reinforces SDI, including paraprofessionals.
- Give co-teaching pairs shared planning time and a simple way to record SDI delivered in class.
- Group SDI by need across classrooms when schedules allow.
- Review goal progress by SDI area each term and adjust methodology when progress stalls.
Questions District Leaders Should Ask
- Can every special education teacher explain how their SDI differs from the class’s general instruction?
- How many SDI minutes are delivered compared with the minutes written in IEPs?
- What do paraprofessionals do during SDI time, and who trained them?
- In co-taught classes, where is SDI planned and recorded?
Frequently Asked Questions
What is specially designed instruction?
Specially designed instruction is the core of special education under IDEA: adapting the content, methodology or delivery of instruction to address a student’s unique needs that result from a disability and to ensure access to the general curriculum (34 CFR 300.39(b)(3)). It is planned by the IEP team, tied to measurable goals and provided at no cost to parents.
Can you give me some examples of SLDs in special education?
IDEA defines a specific learning disability as a disorder in basic psychological processes involved in understanding or using language that may show in listening, thinking, speaking, reading, writing, spelling or math calculation. It names “perceptual disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia” (34 CFR 300.8(c)(10)). SLD is the largest category, at 31% of students served under IDEA (OSEP).
What is an example of an IEP modification?
A student with a learning disability who cannot yet decode grade-level text reads a lower-level book on the same topic, or completes only the easiest questions, or chooses from fewer answer options. Each changes what the student is expected to learn, unlike an accommodation. Because modifications can limit access to assessed content and affect state test scores, the IEP team should decide them deliberately.
Who can provide specially designed instruction?
It depends on state rules. IDEA requires qualified personnel and lets appropriately trained and supervised paraprofessionals assist (34 CFR 300.156). Michigan’s guidance, for example, says SDI must be designed and supervised by a qualified special education professional, general education teachers may deliver it when planned with the IEP team, and paraprofessionals may reinforce but not introduce new content.
Is specially designed instruction the same as a Tier 3 intervention?
No. Tier 3 is the most intensive level of a multi-tiered system of supports and can serve students with or without disabilities. SDI is special education: designed by the IEP team for the needs that result from a student’s disability and written into the IEP. Michigan’s state guidance lists “MTSS Tier 3” among the things SDI is not.
Related Resources
- IEP Goals: How to Write Measurable Goals
- IEP Accommodations
- PLAAFP Examples
- Reading IEP Goals
- IEP Goals for Autism
- IEP Meeting Guide
Conclusion
Specially designed instruction is easy to define and easy to dilute. The examples that work share the same traits: a named need, a clear choice of content, methodology or delivery, explicit teaching by qualified staff, and data that show whether it works. Districts that protect those minutes, and the practice behind them, give the IEP its real force.
Sources: 34 CFR 300.39, Special education; 34 CFR 300.320, Definition of individualized education program; 34 CFR 300.156, Personnel qualifications; 34 CFR 300.8, Child with a disability; 34 CFR 300.226, Early intervening services; Michigan Department of Education, Specially Designed Instruction guidance (May 2026); Indiana Department of Education, Spread the Word: Specially Designed Instruction; IRIS Center, Accommodations module: modifications and interventions; CCSSO, Accessibility Manual: How to Select, Administer, and Evaluate Use of Accessibility Supports for Instruction and Assessment of All Students (2021); Texas Education Agency, Autism Supplement Guidance Document (2025); U.S. Department of Education, OSEP, 2024-25 Static Tables (Part B Child Count & Educational Environments); Learning Policy Institute, An Overview of Teacher Shortages: 2026 (July 13, 2026).
Join the 2027 Special Education Pilot
Specially designed instruction introduces a skill, but mastery takes many more repetitions of practice than SDI minutes can hold, and adult 1-on-1 time is scarce. Telo AI is being adapted for students with IEPs: patient, 1-on-1 practice aligned to each student’s IEP goals, including social-emotional learning and daily living skills. We are inviting districts to shape it with us in a 2027 pilot.
Apply to pilot Telo AI in your Special Education program
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