Specially Designed Instruction (SDI) for behavioral issues

[TiredSoul]

I am trying to understand what the school is really doing or proposing they do to help my difficult child with behavioral issues at school. He has an IEP and qualifies under Health Impaired because of his ADHD/ODD diagnosis. We just had an IEP meeting and he is down to only having one goal related to behavior. The goal is basically that he will participate in group activities in a less structured environment (lunch, recess, line, etc.) without student/teacher incident reports from 4 concerns/incidents in 6 months to 1 concern or less in 6 months.

So I have been reading up on SDI - and found this:

"Specially Designed Instruction (SDI) for children with disabilities is a requirement under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the federal law governing special education programs. SDI refers to the teaching strategies and methods used by teachers to instruct students with learning disabilities and other types of learning disorders.

To develop appropriate specially designed instruction for each learning disabled student, educators and parents work together to analyze student work, evaluation information, and any other available data to determine the student's strengths and weaknesses. Based on that student's unique learning needs, strategies are developed. Teachers continue to measure students' progress and make changes in instruction as needed."

What I really want to know is - what is being done to teach my child how to handle conflict so that he can meet the above goal? There is nothing as far as a social curriculum being taught to help him in this area. He does not go to the resource room for anything. The sped teacher comes to the class 4x/week for 10 mins to help him with organization and making sure he has his homework, etc. There are no longer any organizational goals in his IEP. He works with the Occupational Therapist (OT) for 15 mins once per month for handwriting and has one handwriting goal. Is the SDI supposed to be special instruction (as in lessons being taught) or just "strategies" as referenced above? Strategies like giving him time to cool off before questioning him, etc. I'm confused as to what the school is supposed to do/teach to help with this.

 

[buddy]

I agree this type of goal is totally inappropriate. For behavior, the mandate is positive interventions. An assessment is done to identify the reasons the behaviors are happening. ( internal and external triggers and skill deficits) Then goals should be written to increase appropriate behaviors. ( best practices).


You're right to question this in my humble opinion.

 

[Tiapet]

Thanks, this just helped me on what I'm working on too!

 

[TiredSoul]

Can you give me an idea of a specific goal that would "increase appropriate behavior"? He basically has a problem responding appropriately when something doesn't go his way, when he feels rejected, (if someone doesn't want to hang out with him at recess or wants to play something different) or if he thinks someone purposely bumped/tripped/spilled something on him, or if he thinks something is unfair or he doesn't get a run/hit/base/goal/etc. and thinks he should have. He has NEVER had an FBA or BIP.

Here is something I found online:

Annual Goal #11 ___________ will identify and manage feelings (i.e., anger, anxiety, stress
,
frustration) on a daily basis with _________ frequency as measured by _____________.
Objective #1 Identify behaviors that cause others to become angry (e.g.., calling others names,
tattling, making unkind remarks and discussing others).
Objective #2 Express anger appropriately by using words to state feelings.
Objective #3 Ask adult for help or move away to a quiet area (voluntary time out).
Objective #4 Follow the direction to take a time out when asked by teacher.
Objective #5 Respond to teasing from peers appropriately.
Objective #6 Control temper in conflict situations with adults.
Objective #7 Receive feedback appropriately.
Objective #8 Listen to the opinion of a peer without interrupting or walking away.
Objective #9 Seek help appropriately.
Objective #10 State how his/her behavior affects others.
Objective #11 Identify way(s) to ease frustration in hypothetical situations.
Objective #12 Identify signs of frustration in self.
Objective #13 Name ways people show approval/disapproval.
Objective #14 Describe situation's) in which student experiences a given emotion.
Objective #15 Describe condition(s) which make the student feel angry.
Objective #16 Distinguish between fact, rational belief and irrational belief.
Objective #17 Manage unreasonable fears.
Objective #18 Name alternative, appropriate ways to express emotions (pleasure, anger, and/or frustration).
Objective #19 Express emotions appropriate to given situations.
Objective #20 Describe feelings or mood when asked.
Objective #21 Correctly identify emotions (happy, scared, angry, sad, etc.) from a set of pictures.
Objective #22 Continue to maintain appropriate behavior even when frustrated.
Objective #23 Identify signs of anxiety and stress in self and others.
Objective #24 Practice methods to reduce anxiety and stress in real and simulated situations.
Objective #25 Use appropriate methods to reduce anxiety and stress in real and simulated situations.
Objective #26 Demonstrate self-control as directed by the teacher in role playing situation.
Objective #27 Identify situations which lead to stress.
Objective #28 Name alternative ways to handle frustration.
Objective #29 Identify behaviors which demonstrate self-control.
Objective #30 State a complaint appropriately.
Objective #31 Answer a complaint appropriately.
Objective #32 Respond to persuasion appropriately.
Objective #33 Respond to failure appropriately.
Objective #34 Respond to accusation appropriately.
Objective #35 Accept NO for an answer.
Objective #36 Say NO to an inappropriate/unreasonable request(s).

 

[Tiapet]

Thank you , thank you , thank you! Immensely helpful to me. THIS is what I wanted for last year and got dismissed. THIS is what I'm going armed with FRIDAY (along with all the other stuff I have to pull together from my magical hat somewhere).
This is why I love this board all these years!

 

[InsaneCdn]

Jules - not sure where your difficult child is at with his skill set, but I'm guessing he's no where close to independence on the school's chosen target.

From the list you posted, some early appropriate goals could include things like:
Objective #4 Follow the direction to take a time out when asked by teacher.
Objective #11 Identify way(s) to ease frustration in hypothetical situations.
Objective #12 Identify signs of frustration in self.
Objective #18 Name alternative, appropriate ways to express emotions (pleasure, anger, and/or frustration).
Objective #25 Use appropriate methods to reduce anxiety and stress in real and simulated situations
Objective #29 Identify behaviors which demonstrate self-control.

If he can't identify the situations, and identify the appropriate reactions, at a theoretical level, he's never going to get there in real life. Getting there in theory... is just a very early step.

You can't cross a chasm in multiple steps - but you can't learn a new skillset in a single leap. Break it down to the skills that are just within his current reach, and build from there.