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An intervention is a particular skill-building technique used and tracked to enhance a desired skill and make sufficient progress in a particular area.

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IDEA Disability Categories for intervention:

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IDEA Disability Categories for intervention:

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Specific Learning Disabilities

Speech or Language Impairments

Emotional Disturbance

Autism

Intellectual Disability

Multiple Disabilities

Traumatic Brain Injury

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1. Small group instruction

2. One-on-one tutoring

3. Behavior management plans

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For students with learning disabilities, this article offers a summary of several intervention techniques.

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Research continues to confirm that we can teach students with learning disabilities to "learn how to learn." We can put them into a position to compete and hold their own.
Some intervention practices that produce large outcomes are:

direct instruction;

learning strategy instruction; and

using a sequential, simultaneous structured multi-sensory approach.

Teachers who apply those kinds of intervention:

break learning into small steps;

administer probes;

supply regular, quality feedback;

use diagrams, graphics and pictures to augment what they say in words;

provide ample independent, well-designed intensive practice;

model instructional practices that they want students to follow;

provide prompts of strategies to use; and

engage students in process type questions like "How is the strategy working? Where else might you apply it?"

Scaffolding is also something that seems to make a real difference. Start out with the teacher using heavily mediated instruction, known as explicit instruction, then slowly begin to let the students acquire the skill, moving towards the goal of student mediated instruction.

Success for the student with learning disabilities requires a focus on individual achievement, individual progress, and individual learning. This requires specific, directed, individualized, intensive remedial instruction for students who are struggling.

Whether the student is in the general education classroom or learning in a special class setting, focus the activities on assessing individual students to monitor their progress through the curriculum. Concerns for the individual must take precedence over concerns for the group or the curriculum or for the organization and management of the general education classroom content.

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Successful Strategies for Teaching Students with Learning Disabilities

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Research continues to confirm that we can teach students with learning disabilities to "learn how to learn." We can put them into a position to compete and hold their own. direct instruction; learning strategy instruction; and using a sequential, simultaneous structured multi-sensory approach.

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Four teachers also provide examples of the four main elements of this HLP in the video.

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HLPs #8 and #22: Provide Positive and Constructive Feedback to Guide Students' Learning and Behavior

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This video introduces and defines high-leverage practices (HLPs) 8 and 22 and provides the rationale for this practice appearing twice on the list of HLPs. The video also features four teachers demonstrating examples of the four key components of this HLP. These four key components are that effective feedback is goal directed, constructive, immediate, and respectful/positive.

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Through the use of differentiation, instruction is customized to each student's specific needs. Usually, it is used for every student, irrespective of their learning preferences or skill levels.

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It is typically applied to all students, regardless of their abilities or learning styles.

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1. Changing the degree of difficulty of the tasks

2. Employing various instructional strategies

3. Offering options for assignments

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This resource examines the advantages of differentiated instruction and offers real-world examples of its application in the classroom.

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The Power of Differentiation in the Classroom - Technology for Learners

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In an ideal world, every student would learn at the same pace, have the same learning style, and grasp concepts in the same way. However, the reality is far

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This article will discuss differentiated instruction, which enables teachers to adapt their lessons to each student.

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Differentiated Instruction: Adapting Learning to Individual Needs

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Differentiated instruction describes the ways a teacher or educator adjusts to their students' needs, abilities, and interests. This allows students to learn at their own pace, in a way that suits them. It acknowledges that not everyone in a group is the same and recognizes the traits of each individual member.

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Accommodations are changes in how a student learns, not what they learn. They are typically applied to students with disabilities to help them access the general education curriculum.

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IDEA Disability Categories for Accommodations:

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IDEA Disability Categories for Accommodations:

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Specific Learning Disabilities

Autism

Multiple Disabilities

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1. Extended time on tests

2. Use of assistive technology

3. Preferential seating

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This resource provides an overview of various accommodations and how they support students with disabilities.

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What are accommodations? Learn what accommodations are, how they can help children in school, and how to get accommodations for your child.

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Adaptations are modifications to the expected knowledge and skills of a student. They usually apply to pupils who have severe cognitive impairments.

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IDEA Disability Categories for Adaptations:

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IDEA Disability Categories for Adaptations:

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Intellectual Disability

Multiple Disabilities

Traumatic Brain Injury

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1. Simplified assignments

2. Use of visual aids

3. Modified assessments

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This resource provides strategies for adapting instruction to meet the needs of students with special needs.

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Page 8: Adapt Instruction

Now that Ms. Begay understands the learning process, she can better meet the needs of her students through instructional adaptations. Teachers often find it necessary to adapt their instruction for students with disabilities who are taught in the general education classroom if those students are to have full access to the general education curriculum. Adapting instruction can be defined as making changes to instruction in order to allow students equal access to the curriculum and to give them the opportunity to process and demonstrate what has been taught. Instructional adaptations can include both accommodations and modifications.

Accommodations include services or support related to a student's disability that help her or him to fully access the subject matter and accurately demonstrate such knowledge without fundamental alterations to the standard or expectation of the assignment or test. An example of an accommodation might be the use of audiovisual supplements (e.g., video, overheads) in a lecture to accommodate students with auditory processing difficulties.

Modifications also include services or support related to a student's disability in order to help a student access the subject matter and demonstrate knowledge, but in this case the services and supports do fundamentally alter the standard or expectation of the assignment or test. An example of a modification might see an instructor shortening a written assignment from five paragraphs to two because of the time needed to complete the assignment.

Keep in Mind

When you begin to consider which adaptations to make, it is important to consider students' strengths and weaknesses.

Guidelines for Adapting Instruction

Adapting instruction supports learners with special needs. Teachers should consider several principles when making accommodations or modifications, including the importance of:

Maximizing individual student independence: The less he or she needs to rely on adults, the better.

Maximizing student participation in all class activities along with peers: Partial participation in every activity is much better than none, and the greater participation in each, the better.

Maximizing student skill development: Our job is to teach skills and understanding.

Minimizing the use of temporary solutions (Band-Aids): These do provide some support but they do not work toward attainment of the first three principles.

Teachers can begin to achieve these principles by analyzing five elements of their classroom to determine what adaptations need to be made to accommodate the needs of the student. These five elements are:

Examples of each element

(C)urriculum

Allow both oral and written exams

Include both group and individual work

(I)nstruction

Read aloud from text together

Include class discussions with lectures

Assign note-takers during lectures

Use models to demonstrate concepts

(M)aterials

Allow spellcheckers

Provide graphic organizers

Provide audiotapes of textbooks

(E)nvironment

Consider seating arrangements

Arrange furniture to accommodate students

Eliminate distractions (noise, distracting window views)

Once the teacher has analyzed these five classroom elements, he or she can begin to make the adaptations necessary to meet the needs of the students. This process can be time-consuming and complicated. Click on each icon below to learn about making classroom adaptations.

Materials Scheduling Group Work Independent Work

Materials

1. Create a plan for adapting materials:

Who will plan and implement the adaptations?

When will the adaptations be made?

2. Identify and evaluate the needs of the students:

How well can students read written material?

Do students have access to appropriate materials?

3. Develop goals for teaching strategies and making adaptations:
What is the best approach?

4. Determine the need for content adaptations versus format adaptations:

Content adaptations (modifications) - involves changing what and how much will be learned.

Format adaptations (accommodations) - involves changing how information is presented.

5. Identify the features of the materials that require adaptation:
Consider such things as organization, complexity, and activities in the materials.

6. Determine the type of adaptation that will enable the student to be successful:
Can existing materials be altered or are alternative materials needed?

7. Inform students and parents about the adaptation:
How will you inform parents?

8. Implement, evaluate, and adjust the adaptations:
Is the adaptation still needed or is another adaptation more appropriate?

9. Fade, or phase out, the adaptation when possible:
Can students be taught the skills and strategies that allow adaptations to be discontinued?

(Close this panel)

Scheduling

Schedule group time at least twice a week.

Review the schedule and expectations daily.

Post master daily and weekly schedules for the students; keep a copy in the lesson plan book for yourself.

Recruit and schedule volunteers for weekly support (e.g., one hour, twice a week).

Schedule time for student conferences daily.

Group Work

Teach students how to be effective peer tutors.

Teach students how to work in cooperative learning groups.

Organize the groups well so that students learn from each other.

Independent Work

Teach students how to work independently.

Do not assign independent work until oral or written instruction and practice has occurred.

Set up individual supports for students as needed (peer tutoring, paraprofessional, classroom volunteer).

Directly teach students how to use strategies that create opportunities for self-instruction and practice.

Plan 60-second mini-lessons for students to complete during transitions.

Adaptations may be necessary in the classroom to ensure the success of all students, especially those with disabilities. Click on each of the items in the list below for examples of adaptations required by students with various needs:

Arrange furniture with wide aisles - If you have a student who uses a wheelchair, find out the chair's width and turning radius and create spaces between rows, furniture, and centers that are wide enough for the student to move comfortably.

Lesson plans address access to centers, stations, and other locations - As you plan your lessons, think about how students will get to the learning centers, work stations, or other locations in or out of the classroom so that any student's mobility issues can be worked out prior to the activity. This may mean altering certain groupings, rotations through centers that go in a certain direction or in a certain order, or other design decisions.

Check equipment for accessibility - Investigate the equipment and materials in every center, station, and classroom work area to make certain that items are within reach and are operable by every student.

Use area district and state resources - Most school districts, and every state, will have resource personnel and materials, information, and other supports that will inform you about mobility issues and offer strategies and tips for shaping accessible environments. Ask your principal, special education department head or director, or the statewide parent clearinghouse in your state for contact information for those resources.

Times planned with choice of movement - Activities throughout the day might include a period with choices for movement, such as:

Running around the basketball court or track or gym

Taking materials to the office

Stretching or easy exercises at the desk

Jumping up and down

Playing sports

Physical education period

Choices like these give you with a chance to assess students' interests and to give them the opportunity to develop a life skill (e.g., making appropriate choices).
Transitions incorporate movement - Transition periods (typically five minutes) between subjects, activities, or periods offer students the chance to both physically and mentally adjust to a new experience. Particularly when students have been sitting for a long period, movement will be extremely helpful to plan as part of the transition. Some transitions, like clean-up from an art activity, already involve movement. Other examples that students might do include:

Stretching or certain arm movements while students are lined up to go elsewhere

Songs that involve physical movements

"Simon Says" games

Favorite animal imitations

More kinesthetic activities in lessons - All students benefit from increased kinesthetic involvement in activities. One way to get students moving might be as simple as asking them to stand up, squat, and bend as they complete part of an activity. More to the point, integrating kinesthetic elements into otherwise stationary tasks creates another modality to enhance learning. Examples include:

Working together to create a map or diorama across a table

Drawing, painting, cutting, coloring, and tracing

Responding physically (e.g., hand or arm signals, holding up response cards or flags, jumping up, stamping feet) instead of, or along with, verbal responses

Pass out materials - Assigning students to pass out materials might give those who really need it the opportunity to move.

Block out excessive distractions - There are any number of creative ways to help students to block out noise and visual distractions. Spreading open a manila folder at one's desk, creating a larger carrel to sit behind, using headphones, facing the wall, and sitting out in the hall to concentrate are just a few of the creative ways to eliminate distractions.

Remove excess materials or utensils - Most students with attention challenges will perform better if only the essential items for the task at hand are in front of them. Otherwise, extra items like scissors, miscellaneous papers, or markers may be more interesting than the target activity.

Prompt students privately to stay on task - You and the student might have a private system to help the student to focus on assigned work, such as a hand signal, a question, a mark on a chart, or a card placed on her or his desk.

Teach a self-monitoring strategy - A students' attention will always be better managed if he or she takes responsibility for staying focused. Typical self-monitoring strategies that you could help the student learn include:

A chart at the desk which she or he marks every time you (or a device) signals (e.g., checkmark for being on task, an "X" for not; coloring in the block for that period; drawing a happy face in the designated block)

Moving a small item (e.g., paper clips, buttons) from one collection or location to another at certain time intervals

Using headphones to listen to a pre-recorded tape of silence or music that has signal tones at specified intervals and then marking one's status (on- or off-task) when the tones occur

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Now that Ms. Begay understands the learning process, she can better meet the needs of her students through instructional adaptations. Teachers often find it necessary to adapt their instruction for students with disabilities who are taught in the general education classroom if those students are to have full access to the general education curriculum.

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This practice involves modifying the curriculum to ensure it is accessible and meaningful for all students.

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How Teachers Adapt Curriculum – Sevenstar

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Modifications are changes in what a student is expected to learn, often involving a reduction in learning expectations.

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IDEA Disability Categories for Modifications:

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IDEA Disability Categories for Modifications:

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Specific Learning Disabilities

Intellectual Disability

Multiple Disabilities

Traumatic Brain Injury

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1. Reduced homework assignments

2. Simplified reading materials

3. Modified grading criteria

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This resource provides practical examples of how to make modifications for students with special needs.

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Center for Parent Information and Resources

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Supports, Modifications, and Accommodations for Students - Center for Parent Information and Resources

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Your Central Hub for Parent Centers Serving Families of Children With Disabilities

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This practice involves changing the content or delivery of instruction to meet the unique needs of students.

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How to Modify Your Teaching for Students With Low Organizational Skills

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Classrooms today have students with many special needs, and teachers are often directed to “modify as necessary.” The following article takes the mystery out of modifying your teaching strategies with concrete examples that focus on students’ organizational skills.

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SDI is a teaching method specifically tailored to meet the unique needs of students with disabilities.

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IDEA Disability Categories for Specially Designed Instruction (SDI):

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IDEA Disability Categories for Specially Designed Instruction (SDI):

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Autism

Speech or Language Impairments

Specific Learning Disabilities

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1. Individualized instruction

2. Use of specialized materials

3. Implementation of behavior management strategies

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This resource provides an in-depth look at SDI and how it supports students with disabilities.

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Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction

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The term specially designed instruction (SDI) is embedded within the Individual with Disabilities Education Act’s (IDEA) definition of special education and is mirrored in state special education statute. Specially designed instruction is instruction in which the content, methodology, or delivery of the instruction is individually adapted to address the student’s disability-related needs so the student can access, engage, and make progress in the general education curriculum and meet the standards and expectations that apply to all students of the same age or grade.

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This practice involves effectively implementing SDI to support students with disabilities in the classroom.

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Family Resources - Specially Designed Instruction & High Leverage Practices

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What is Specially Designed Instruction (SDI) in Special Education?
“Specially designed instruction” means adapting, as appropriate to the needs of an eligible child, the content, methodology, or delivery of instruction: (34 CFR 300.39(b)(3))
To address the unique needs of the child that result

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In this approach, students with disabilities are supported in the classroom through the efficient use of accommodations.

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In general, instructional or testing environments should be well lit with a comfortable temperature, good ventilation, and minimal extraneous noise or other interruptions. Even under ideal conditions, however, some aspects of the environment or setting might present barriers for certain students. These students might benefit from setting accommodations, which allow for a change in the environment or in how the environment is structured. They provide support that allows students with disabilities to access the same instructional opportunities as students without disabilities; however, keep in mind that setting accommodations: