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Intervention is a targeted and focused set of strategies to address a specific area that a student may be struggling in. Intervention is to help improve their skills and progress.

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Differentiation is a teaching method that will personalize individual learning providing students with choice and flexability.

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Accommodation focuses on the student process of learning not what is being learned which means a change in how the student learns or demonstrates knowledge without changing the learning standards.

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Modification changes the material or the task itself. Modification changes what a student is taught or expected to learn.

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Specially Designed Instruction means the content or delivery of instruction is specially designed for the needs of the student.

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Intervention can be used for students who have learning disabilities like dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia. Intervention isn't a one size fits all, it can also be used for students who have autism, and emotional disturbance.

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Students with learning disabilities and/or health impairments benefit from differentiation like autism spectrum disorder, hearing impairment, visual impairment, and emotional disturbance.

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Students dealing with sensory impairment, like Deafness or deaf-blind, cognitive disabilities such as learning disabilities, intellectual disabilities, and traumatic brain injury.

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modification is designed for students who cannot comprehend what is taught in general education. Students with significant cognitive impairments learning disabilities, physical disabilities and even sensory disabilities can benefit from modification.

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SDI can be used to support a wide range of disabilities like autism spectrum disorder, sensory impairments, intellectual disabilities, learning disabilities, and physical. It can also be used other conditions that impact a students ability to learn.

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1. A student with Autism Spectrum Disorder is having a hard time speaking, an intervention that can be used is music therapy.

2. A student with dyslexia is having a hard time reading a book out loud to the class.The intervention that can be used for this student could be using reading comprehension strategies like reading one line outlaid in a smaller group or one on one with the teacher.

3. Another student is dealing with Emotional Disturbance, an intervention that can be used could be teaching and practicing coping strategies and relaxation techniques.

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1. Grouping students based on their abilities or learning needs.

2. Providing students with different stations around the classroom focusing on different activities.

3. Providing different formats to understand the reading like audiobook or simplified texts.

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1. pre-reading, meaning to provide reading material or a copy of the lesson plan before instruction.

2. providing an area in a location that is quiet to reduce sensory overload or distractions.

3. providing extra time for the student to complete their tests or assignments.

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1. Breaking tasks or assignments into smaller tasks or reducing the workload.

2. Allowing students to use things such as calculators.

3. Grading based on efforts

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1. reteaching a lesson

2. speech and language therapy

3. visual schedules

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This website is educational on providing the insight on special education and identifying who needs intervention. They go over what types of intervention is used in special education giving different strategies and examples!

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'Intervention'. If you work in a school, you're likely to hear the term used innumerable times a day. Now an intrinsic part of school life, interventions in education allow teachers and teaching assistants to address any gaps in a child's progress or attainment. Once a need has been identified, effective interventions can then be used to overcome any barriers in the child's learning.

In this article, we'll overview the main types of interventions in education. We'll then look at a range of strategies and practical examples that you can use when planning effective interventions for your students.

What are Interventions in Education?

In educational settings, interventions are often used to describe a focused teaching session, which is a deviation away from existing teaching practice. Interventions in schools can be one-to-one, or delivered as a group. The aims of the programme will have been carefully created by a teacher or teaching assistant based on a key area of need. For example, inference in reading, or units of time in maths. Interventions should be delivered alongside Quality First Teaching, and are often used to support children with SEND.

Many issues children face in their learning are inter-connected. It might be that a child is displaying concerning behaviour, and is falling behind academically, so each intervention needs to address each individual's specific areas of need.

As a result, some interventions are targeted, and are put in place to address a certain weakness. These interventions are likely to be more formally monitored in order to track the child's progress, whereas other interventions are more flexible, and adjust according to the changing needs of the student.

Some interventions can be costly and time-consuming. In order to be effective, there needs to be a demonstrable impact, so structuring interventions requires strategic thinking.

Types of Intervention in Schools

There are many different types of interventions in schools. Let's take a look at the most commonly used intervention strategies:

Behavioural Interventions

Collaborative Interventions

One-to-One Interventions

Classroom-Based Interventions

Social, Emotional and Wellbeing Interventions

Peer Tutoring

Metacognition and Self-Regulation

Homework

Why are Effective Interventions Important in Schools?

Interventions can be an incredibly beneficial aspect of school life.

Using a structured intervention, teachers can swiftly close progress or attainment gaps in a key area. They can also see the demonstrable impact of their practice, and share it with the child and their parents or carers.

Challenging behaviour in the classroom is one of the greatest barriers to learning. But behavioural interventions can help to address low-level behaviour, and, as a result, build relationships in the classroom, therefore improving the teaching and learning experience for the teacher and pupils.

When pupils fall behind their peers, they can begin to lose confidence. Implementing interventions can help to build a child's self-worth, as well as their academic understanding. Equally, interventions often take place in a nurturing, safe environment, which can positively contribute to students' overall wellbeing.

How Might Teachers Plan Effective Interventions?

In order to plan an effective and impactful intervention, you must first identify what it is you wish to achieve. The outcome you decide upon should ideally be monitorable, so that you can demonstrate the impact of the programme. At this stage, it may also be worth discussing any previous interventions you've used in order to unpick their success rates. If we prioritise interventions within the teaching and learning policy, then they're more likely to have a sustainable impact.

Work with a colleague to consider:

What will we be doing?

Why are we doing it?

How will we implement the intervention?

Will we be able to monitor the process, and if so, how?

And to what aim?

Once you have selected the child or children for the intervention, next look holistically at the provision in your school. What can you realistically offer? Who will deliver the session? Where? At what point in the day?

When you've addressed any logistical barriers, strategic planning will then be needed to address any challenges you may face. For example, staff may need to increase their knowledge and understanding prior to delivering a particular intervention. Keeping staff motivated and enthused will be crucial in the programme's success. Additionally, a potential challenge may be that children are involved in too many interventions, which may simply lead to students feeling overwhelmed, negating any form of progress.

Before you begin the programme of intervention, remember to organise a baseline assessment, so staff can effectively monitor the child's outcomes.

Throughout the sessions, consider how any members of staff involved will feedback on progress and target setting. And finally, when it comes to assessing outcomes, ensure you have collected tangible evidence of the intervention's impact. This could be an increased reading age, or a journal created by the child, reflecting their increased understanding of strategies they can use to improve their wellbeing.

If the intervention was a success, try to make time as a team to discuss why. Share the practice with the rest of the school, and consider whether the programme could be rolled out across other year groups.

This handy guide from the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) allows you to compare which interventions are most impactful, based on evidence strength, impact and cost.

Examples of Classroom Intervention Strategies

Interventions in the classroom may take many different forms.

It might be that a group of children are struggling with a particular concept. The teaching assistant might then work with those particular children to spend time consolidating their knowledge of shape before they move further into the topic.

Equally, a collaborative intervention might take place in class to deepen and strengthen students' knowledge and understanding of a poet's techniques and language use.

A teacher's ability to identify early areas of need within the classroom can prevent any learning issues from becoming bigger barriers to education.

How to Create a Successful Intervention: Top Tips

1. Make it fun

Particularly important when working with Primary aged students, it is vital to grab their attention and make the learning experience memorable. You might consider getting outside and using the natural environment to practise symmetry, or use drama to analyse characters in fiction. For secondary aged students, it's also important to make it engaging, and be sure to make the purpose of the intervention clear to them, so that they can really see how it will benefit them.

In order for the students to make links between key concepts and subject areas, try and link the content to wider class learning. Consider liaising frequently with the class teacher to ensure that the content aligns with the learning objectives which are being covered with the rest of the class and try to use similar case studies or examples to those which they plan to teach.

3. Timing is key

With regard to neurodiversity, a student with ADHD, for example, may resent being taken out of a creative subject they love and excel in, in order to make progress in a subject they find challenging.

4. Personalise the sessions

Every student is unique. They all have differing areas of need, and different skills and talents. As a result, when planning an intervention, try and tap into what it is that will really spark their interest and keep them motivated.

5. Consider staff wellbeing

It is vital that staff feel supported in delivering their interventions, so check in with them frequently and show an interest in the progress they are making. They must be offered adequate training for the role, and they must be given enough time to effectively plan their sessions. The interventions should also be carefully planned into their timetables so that they are balanced and manageable, for example, staff may find a full day of back to back interventions quite overwhelming so if it is possible, try to space them out.

6. Play to your strengths

Use staff in a strategic manner by playing to their areas of strength. As a team, work out where your skills and interests would be best placed when matching staff to both subject areas and individual students. It may be that a teaching assistant has a degree in a certain subject, and would feel particularly comfortable delivering interventions in that area, so make the most of those situations!
Creating an intervention in school can seem challenging. But if the programme is created in a structured and strategic manner, the chances of it being successful are much higher. Yes, interventions involve budgets, monitoring, and data, but at the heart of every programme is the child. Effective interventions help today's young people navigate whatever challenges they may face, and your role can be crucial in helping them to reach smoother seas.
Further Resources:

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Effective Interventions in Education: Types and Examples

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Interventions in education help to address any gaps in a child's progress or attainment. We look at a range of strategies and practical examples here.

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This blog goes deeper into more examples of differentiation and talks about how differentiation is the key to success in a classroom! they mention a quote from Albert Einsten that says "If you judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life thinking its not smart"

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Examples of Differentiated Instruction - Graduate Programs for Educators

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Looking for some examples of differentiated instruction to implement this school year? Find everything from content to learning environments.

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This website is great to view different disabilities and what accommodations can be used for those certain disabilities.

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Center for Learning, Access, and Student Success

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Audio, Brailled or electronic-formatted lecture notes, handouts, and texts

Verbal descriptions of visual aids

Raised-line drawings and tactile models of graphic materials

Braille lab signs and equipment labels, auditory lab warning signals

Adaptive lab equipment (e.g., talking thermometers and calculators, light probes, and tactile timers)

Computer with optical character recognition (OCR), voice output, Braille screen display and printer output

Seating near the front of class

Large print handouts, lab signs, and equipment labels

Class assignments made available in electronic format

Other assistive technology

Please see information about our services available for assistive technology.

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Examples of Accommodations - Center for Learning, Access, and Student Success

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The LAC-DS team describes typical examples of testing and classroom accommodations for students with: Low vision, Blindness, Hearing impairment, a Learning disability, ADHD, Mobility impairment, chronic medical conditions, Health impairments, or a psychological disability.

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Even though this section is about modifications, this website is really helpful to help show the difference between accommodations and modifications by showing in a table comparison!

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A strategy used to help a student with learning needs access the same curriculum as his peers.

A strategy used to help a student with learning needs achieve the same curriculum as his peers.

Curriculum learning expectations and outcomes are the same.

Curriculum learning expectations and outcomes are different.

Occurs in the general education classroom.

Occurs in the general education classroom.

Tools, materials, technology, visual aids, physical space, and timing are used to help the student access the currculum.

Tools, materials, technology, visual aids, physical space, and timing are used to help the student achieve the currculum.

Grading is the same.

Grading is different and appropriate to the student's specific developmental level and learning needs.

The basics

Accommodations for Students with LD
See examples of accommodations that allow students with learning disabilities to show what they know without giving them an unfair advantage. Accommodations are divided into the following categories: how information is presented to the student, how the student can respond, timing of tests and lessons, the learning environment, and test scheduling.

Accommodating Students with Dyslexia in All Classroom Settings
This fact sheet describes reasonable accommodations involving materials, interactive instruction, and student performance to help children with learning problems in general education and special education classrooms.

Dysgraphia Accommodations and Modifications
Learn the signs and symptoms of dysgraphia, see a menu of accommodations and modifications, and view remediation recommendations to help students improve their writing.

Visual schedules and structures

Visual Schedules in the School Setting
A visual schedule communicates the sequence of upcoming activities or events through the use of objects, photographs, icons, or words. Find out how to set up visual schedules in your classroom to support your students.

Visual Structure in the School Setting
Visual structure adds a physical or visual component to tasks to help students with ASD to understand how an activity should be completed. Get ideas on how to implement visual structure in your classroom and support your students' independence.

Do You See What I Mean? Visual Literacy Supports for Students with Disabilities
Many learners with disabilities are visual learners and are best able to understand and remember content when they can see it represented in some way; in other words, they need to "see what we mean." Three visual supports helpful for teaching and supporting literacy development are described here: picture books, graphic notes, and story kits.

Visual Supports for Students with ASD
Browse this collection of visual supports and other resources to help your students with ASD be successful socially and academically in school. You'll find templates for social rules, classroom rules, emotional support, schedules, and more.

Visual supports in the classroom

Autism expert Brenda Smith Myles talks about the importance of visual supports in the general education classroom. See the full interview with Dr. Myles here ›

Using visual supports to teach students with ASD across environments

This webcast from Virginia Commonwealth University provides educators who work with students with Autism Spectrum Disorder an opportunity to learn how to incorporate visual supports into their classrooms. Learn the importance of using visuals within four critical areas: instruction, environment, behavior, and communication.

More resources on accommodations and modifications

Common Accommodations and Modifications in School
There are many ways teachers can help kids who are struggling in school. Here are some common accommodations and modifications that schools and families can discuss as possible options for kids. ( Understood )

Modifications: What You Need to Know
For kids with learning and thinking differences, school can be challenging. If a child is struggling, one possible strategy is giving him less schoolwork or simpler assignments. This is called a modification. It's not the same as an accommodation. While modifications can make school easier for kids, they can have serious drawbacks, too. Here's what you need to know about academic modifications. ( Understood )

Accommodations vs modifications

Hear from parent advocate Amanda Morin on the difference between accommodations and modifications, and how each one impacts a child's experience in the classroom. (From Understood )

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Accommodations remove learning barriers in the classroom to provide every child with equal access to learning. An example is offering an audio version of classroom text for a student with dyslexia or visual supports for children with ASD. Modifications are changes to what a child is taught and expected to do in class.

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This website can clean any confusion or questions about SDI. It talks about what exactly specially designed interaction can help with!

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When a student receives special education services, they receive "specially designed instruction." That could be speech therapy to teach them how to correctly say their sounds, or it could be academic instruction in the self-contained classroom from a special education teacher. But what is specially designed instruction and why is it important for kids with disabilities?

Why do IEPs include specially designed instruction?

The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) defines special education as "specially designed instruction," or SDI, that is free to parents and meets the unique needs of a child with a disability. The instruction can take place anywhere, from general education to the child's home, but it's specifically designed only for that child.

Some specific types of SDI:

Speech and language therapy

Occupational therapy

Community-based training

Vocational education

Adapted physical education

SDI is provided so that the student can meet the educational standards that apply to all students in a district. So, receiving vocational education may be provided to help a child with a disability meet career and independent living outcomes set for all students.

Source: Number Dyslexia

Who decides what SDI a student gets?

Every IEP includes a reason for why a student requires specially designed instruction in a certain area-academic, speech and language, fine motor, gross motor. Then, the IEP team decides what SDI looks like for each student and writes it into the IEP. SDI can address everything that a child could be taught, from behavior to social skills to reading and math. But what SDI a student actually receives depends on their disability and how it impacts them at school.

Read more: What Is an IEP?

What are features of SDI?

Specially designed instruction:

Is provided by special education teachers or related service providers (like therapists)

Is delivered in an explicit, systematic manner

Can be provided in any educational setting (according to the child's IEP and LRE)

Directly addresses goals in the student's IEP

Is closely monitored to make sure that the student is mastering their goals and making progress

Can address any area of need, including health, communication, behavior, functional, and academic

Does not involve lowering standards or expectations for the student; ambitious goals

What does NOT qualify as specially designed instruction?

Specially designed instruction is NOT:

How is SDI different than core instruction or MTSS?

The implementation of specially designed instruction happens through the child's IEP. It teaches specific skills that the student doesn't yet have but needs in order to access the curriculum. A qualified special education teacher, or provider, like a speech therapist, delivers SDI. That said, SDI can go hand-in-hand with general education strategies, like Universal Design for Learning and PBIS. It also overlaps with general education because it aligns with standards and formative assessments given to general education students.

Similar to MTSS (multi-tiered system of support), where students receive intervention using research-based practices, SDI can involve instruction through a program, Orton-Gillingham for reading, or an evidence-based practice, like a questioning strategy, to teach skills. The difference is that the program is provided through the student's IEP rather than through an intervention plan. To qualify for an IEP with a learning disability, for example, a child will need to have received interventions, which can be the same as SDI, as part of the evaluation process. So, their IEP may continue the same SDI but through the special education teacher rather than the interventionist.

Read more on Research Based Practices.

What are some examples of SDI that an IEP could include?

Specially designed instruction that can be included in an IEP:

Learning how to use a visual schedule (a visual schedule is an accommodation; learning how to use it is specially designed instruction)

Social skill instruction using an evidence-based curriculum

Word reading or phonics instruction

Pre-teaching, reteaching, or repetition of a lesson

Teaching a student to use choice cards to communicate their preferences

Self-regulation instruction using the Zones of Regulation

Teaching through repetition using video or audio recordings

Teaching using mnemonic strategies

Watch a video about specially designed instruction.

Read the IDEA description of specially designed instruction.

Resources

The Wrightslaw blog is the definitive place to go to research special education law.

The Council for Exceptional Children has resources about special education.

Have questions about specially designed instruction? Join the WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook to exchange ideas and ask for advice!

Learn more about reading practices you can use for SDI in this What Is the Science of Reading? article.

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All posts by Samantha Cleaver, PhD, Special Ed & Reading Intervention

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Isn't it just explicit teaching? Learn the ins and outs of specially designed instruction and what it means for kids with disabilities.

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Providing Feedback as a high leverage practice can work best with interventions because it involves giving students specific feedback to improve.

HLP#8 and HLP#22

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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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The Power of Differentiated Interaction high leverage practice is best because it involves adapting to meet diverse student needs.

HLP #13

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Implementing Accommodations, this practice involves changing curriculum tasks and/or materials for certain learning goals for the student.

HLP #13

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Introduction and definition of each HLP

Brief review of the research

Several brief videos of general education and special education teachers implementing the practice

What the videos are:

A resource to augment training/professional learning

A demonstration of HLP practice across degrees of intensity

A portrayal of teachers' implementation of an HLP

A demonstration of practices that can be used with all students, not only those with disabilities

What the videos are not:

A complete resource for training/professional learning

A demonstration of each tier across various settings

A depiction of all features of quality instruction/student engagement

Promoting the use of practices that would replace the need for intense, data-driven decisions and interventions provided by special educators or other specialists

This content was produced under U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, Award No. H325A170003 & S283B120021-12A . David Guardino serves as the project officer. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the positions or policies of the U.S. Department of Education. No official endorsement by the U.S. Department of Education of any project, commodity, service, or enterprise mentioned in this website is intended or should be inferred.

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Introduction and definition of each HLP Brief review of the research Several brief videos of general education and special education teachers implementing the practice What the videos are: A resource to augment training/professional learning A demonstration of HLP practice across degrees of intensity A portrayal of teachers' implementation of an

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Modifying instruction changes the instruction or curriculum. This high leverage practice makes adjustments.

HLP #6

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This guide highlights key elements of high-leverage practice (HLP) 6; provides tips for mentors, supervisors, and other school leaders who are supporting the implementation of this HLP; and presents questions to consider when observing and evaluating this HLP in practice.

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Implementing Specially Designed Instruction; this practice effectively implements SDI to support students.

HLP #12

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Introduction and definition of each HLP

Brief review of the research

Several brief videos of general education and special education teachers implementing the practice

What the videos are:

A resource to augment training/professional learning

A demonstration of HLP practice across degrees of intensity

A portrayal of teachers' implementation of an HLP

A demonstration of practices that can be used with all students, not only those with disabilities

What the videos are not:

A complete resource for training/professional learning

A demonstration of each tier across various settings

A depiction of all features of quality instruction/student engagement

Promoting the use of practices that would replace the need for intense, data-driven decisions and interventions provided by special educators or other specialists

This content was produced under U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, Award No. H325A170003 & S283B120021-12A . David Guardino serves as the project officer. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the positions or policies of the U.S. Department of Education. No official endorsement by the U.S. Department of Education of any project, commodity, service, or enterprise mentioned in this website is intended or should be inferred.

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HLP #12: Systematically Design Instruction Toward a Specific Learning Goal

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This video provides a definition, background, and rationale for high-leverage practice (HLP) 12 and demonstrates three key components of this HLP through video exemplars from in-service practitioners. The three key components highlighted in this video are the importance of setting specific and measurable learning goals for students, organizing and sequencing lessons logically, and supporting students in organizing new knowledge by providing scaffolds and structures for learning.