Specially designed instruction (SDI) in special education needs courses has supported special education teachers to understand the thought processes of special kids. The special education courses have been a massive help to SEN teachers who have devoted themselves to the care of gifted children. SEN teachers gain a lot of ideas in creating a learning environment for children with special abilities. There are multiple instructional strategies for special education needs children and these designs are developed keeping in mind the capabilities and potential of the special kids.
SDI vs DIFFERENTIATION:
However, differentiation for special education students and specially designed instructions are often considered the same by SEN teachers. A course in special education as a certificate diploma, a diploma course, or a post-graduate diploma in this education program will enable teachers to teach gifted children. Specially designed instruction in special education courses helps students to meet their IEP goals and it is based on an individual student encompassing his/her strengths and weaknesses.
Different students have different techniques to learn and it varies from one student to another. That is not a unique thing to the special education classroom. When a teacher provides differentiation, he or she is giving students a chance to show what they can perform in different ways. The prime goal is not to alter the material or the lesson, but to give gifted children opportunities to demonstrate their talents and abilities in the ways that work best for them. Differentiation can be used in any classroom setting at any grade level.
Differentiation is an approach of teaching where all students are present whereas SDI is a method of teaching used to address individual goals and needs.
CURRICULUM THAT SDI MUST FOLLOW:
- Specific curricula for struggling readers having learning disabilities, hearing impairment, ADHD, and autism.
- Social Skill curriculum such as having a smooth social interaction with other kids.
- Specific pullout instruction or lesson plan for pre-teaching, teaching, reteaching/repetition
- visual charts, and visual schedules
- graphic organizers with repetition or reteaching, pre-teaching
- Teaching a kid how to communicate and get along with other people conveniently.
- To teach children with special abilities how to show their emotions as per the situation demands.
- yoga, meditation, relaxation techniques-to teach rules and regulation
- Differentiating instructions or study materials for special students learning specially designed instructions.
- Develop a sensory diet-should accommodate sensory needs, but also teach regulation
One of the notable mottos of specially designed instructions is to meet the dreams of the parents. Children having autism, learning disabilities, hyperlexia, and so on often encounter numerous challenges in their path with respect to socio-emotional interaction. These children having special abilities are owners of unique talents and to cater to their needs, SEN teachers are letting the application of SDI to the fullest.
These special instructions can be executed in the classroom, creche, special ed schools, hospitals, and everywhere else. In fact, speech therapy or any other process that doctors are using to help children to combat their odds are also recommending the use of SDI. Differentiation also has its own benefits where a teacher is providing different ways for all students to demonstrate what they have learned.
Hence, these special education courses are not only guiding specially-abled children but also enlightening special-ed teachers who want to cater to the needs of those gifted children.
Written By : Debolina Chakraborty
