Specially Designed Instruction (SDI)
(Building the skill itself)
This is the core of special education.
Specially Designed Instruction means instruction that is intentionally adapted to meet your child’s unique needs.
It is:
- Individualized
- Goal-driven
- Structured
- Tied directly to the IEP
This instruction is often delivered by a special education teacher, either in a resource setting, co-taught classroom, or specialized program — depending on your child’s placement.
This might look like:
- Explicit, systematic reading instruction
- Targeted math intervention
- Direct instruction in written expression
- Social communication lessons
- Emotional regulation skill-building
SDI is not just “extra help.”
It is instruction delivered differently because your child learns differently.
Accommodations remove barriers, and Specially Designed Instruction builds capacity.
A helpful question to ask:
“Can you show me how this instruction is being adapted specifically for my child?”
That question shifts the conversation from minutes to method.
It invites clarity without confrontation.
Related Services
(Supporting the whole child)
Related services are additional supports provided by specialists so the student can benefit from their education.
These are often delivered by:
- Speech-language pathologists
- Special Education Teachers/Paraprofessionals
- Occupational therapists
- Physical therapists
- School counselors
- Social Workers
These services address needs that impact access to learning.
For example:
- Speech therapy may target articulation or language processing.
- Occupational therapy may address fine motor or sensory regulation.
- Counseling and/or Social Work may support emotional regulation or coping skills.
- Special education teachers, who provide Specially Designed Instruction aligned to IEP goals
Special education teachers are central to this work.
They are the ones adapting instruction, providing targeted interventions, and working directly on the goals outlined in the IEP within the classroom setting.
The amount of time listed for special education services — often referred to as “minutes” — helps determine how and where that instruction is delivered. Those service decisions play a role in placement and the student’s Least Restrictive Environment (LRE).
Understanding those minutes matters because they reflect the amount of direct instructional support your child is receiving.
Related services support development in areas that directly affect educational performance and the impact of the educational environment.
They are part of ensuring meaningful access. Services connect directly back to the needs identified in Present Levels.
For example:
- If Present Levels describe challenges with expressive or receptive language, speech therapy may be included to target communication skills.
- If Present Levels identify fine motor delays or sensory regulation concerns impacting written output or attention, occupational therapy may be appropriate.
In other cases, those same needs might be addressed through Specially Designed Instruction provided by the special education teacher, or through support from a school social worker or counselor — depending on the skill being targeted and how it impacts learning.
- If the Present Levels document emotional regulation challenges that interfere with learning, counseling, or social work services may be included to support skill development.
- If Present Levels describe reading deficits, a special education teacher may provide structured, evidence-based literacy instruction aligned to the IEP goals.
What matters most is not the title of the provider, but whether the service clearly connects back to the documented need and the goal being addressed.
Related services are not “extras.”
They exist because something was clearly identified as impacting educational performance. And just like goals and instruction, they should link back to documented need or medical diagnosis.
A helpful question to ask:
“Can you walk me through how this service supports the goal we just discussed?”
That question reinforces alignment.
It keeps the conversation centered on your child — not the label of the service.
