Special Instruction Therapy (SIT) is a form of specialized teaching designed to address the unique learning needs of students with disabilities. This specialized instruction is a legally mandated service, ensuring eligible students can access and make progress in the general curriculum or develop necessary functional skills. SIT provides a highly individualized educational experience that differs significantly from methods used in general education settings.
Defining Special Instruction Therapy
Special Instruction Therapy is the adaptation of the content, methodology, or delivery of instruction to meet the unique needs of a child with a disability. The purpose is to ensure the student can master the curriculum content and achieve educational goals despite their disability. Unlike general education, which follows a standardized curriculum for a group, SIT customizes the educational process for one student.
SIT involves fundamentally changing how a subject is taught or a skill is acquired, moving beyond simple accommodations like extra time on tests. It focuses on remediation, which involves directly teaching skills the student has not learned, and building compensatory strategies to work around the impact of the disability. Instruction is driven by data on the student’s performance, aiming to close the achievement gap between the student and their non-disabled peers.
For example, a student with a specific learning disability in reading might receive direct, multisensory instruction in phonics, a method not typically part of the general education curriculum. The instruction is systematic and planned, focusing on the specific procedures and techniques necessary for the student’s growth. The goal is to provide the student with the tools and skills needed for a higher level of self-sufficiency and success in school and the community.
Determining Eligibility and Target Populations
A student qualifies for Special Instruction Therapy only after a formal evaluation determines they meet specific criteria. The student must have a disability formally recognized under federal and state regulations. The disability must also be found to adversely affect the student’s educational performance.
The multidisciplinary team, which includes parents and qualified professionals, reviews data and assessment results to make the eligibility determination. The team must conclude that the student’s unique needs cannot be met in general education classes, even with accommodations, and therefore requires specialized instruction. Students who only require accommodations without specially designed instruction are typically not eligible for SIT.
Target populations for SIT include students with a wide range of needs, such as specific learning disabilities, autism spectrum disorder, emotional disturbance, and intellectual disabilities. Other eligible groups include students with speech or language impairments, orthopedic impairments, and health impairments like Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The team reviews functional, developmental, and academic information to ensure the determination is based on the student’s full profile of strengths and challenges.
Instructional Settings and Delivery Methods
The delivery of Special Instruction Therapy is outlined in the student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP), which serves as the blueprint for all services. The IEP dictates the frequency, duration, and measurable goals for the instruction, ensuring it is systematic and targeted. A primary guiding principle for determining the setting is the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE), which requires students with disabilities be educated with their non-disabled peers to the greatest extent possible.
SIT can be delivered across a continuum of settings, ranging from full inclusion in the general education classroom to a separate, specialized classroom. In a “push-in” or co-teaching model, a special education teacher provides the specialized instruction directly within the general education setting, often modifying the content or using specialized techniques. The “pull-out” resource room model involves removing the student from the general education class for a portion of the day to receive individualized or small-group instruction focused on specific academic or functional skills.
Specialized instructional techniques are applied based on the student’s needs, such as multisensory approaches for literacy, visual supports for communication, or task analysis for teaching life skills. More restrictive settings, like self-contained classrooms, are reserved for students whose needs are so severe they cannot make educational progress in a general education environment. These varied delivery models allow the instructional team to precisely match the intensity and environment of the therapy to the student’s unique learning profile.