Ask an Advocate: How come SDIs never get taken off IEPs?

Welcome to another edition of Ask an Advocate. This is the feature on the blog where I, a special education advocate, answer reader questions.

Today’s question is about taking SDIs off an IEP.

How come SDIs never get taken off of IEPs? I have one student and it says “read all tests to her” but we haven’t read a test to her in two years. Why doesn’t it get taken off?

This question actually came from an Instructional Aide in a school.

Love that question!

First, for those who do not know, SDI means Specially Designed Instruction. Technically, an SDI is special education or an instructional intervention. Her question is about an accommodation which again, technically is not an SDI.

Still, that section of the IEP is called “Supplementary Aids and Services.” And, it includes all teaching/instructional interventions, related services and accommodations. While all three of those are very different, they often get lumped together and the terms mixed up.

Where do I want to begin? First, yes, I totally agree that if a child no longer needs that accommodation or strategy, it should be removed from his/her IEP.

When you have too many SDIs on an IEP, it dilutes the importance of them, and makes it less likely that school personnel will follow all of them. I also think that it trains teachers and staff to glaze over that section of the IEP, because they are so frequently the same for every child in a given school.

It’s not uncommon these days for schools to come up with these giant master lists of SDIs and just put them on all IEPs. I don’t like that idea either–it takes away the importance of I in IEP.

That being said, parents are very reluctant to give up anything on an IEP. They fear that they won’t be able to get that SDI or service back, or any needed services in the future. I understand the hesitation. But we have to begin to reinstate trust between parents and schools as it’s been absent for far too long.

Be honest with yourselves, parents. Does your child still need all the SDIs on the IEP? Then let’s start removing them.

You can do it with documentation, just make note of it in a follow up letter. Keep monitoring progress and ask for them if you need them. But let the list of SDIs on the document be the SDIs they need so that all staff working with your child can focus on what they truly need.

Like I said, I feel when you have too many it dilutes the importance of the much needed ones. Sometimes it’s just an oversight. This is why I think it’s important to point it out to the team–it lets them know you are reading and monitoring the entire IEP. You are paying attention to the details!

Deservedly removing SDIs from an IEP is a good thing!

It either means that your child no longer needs that particular support or that you as a team have recognized that they do not benefit from that support. Now you can focus on other things.

If a school team refused to remove an SDI from an IEP, I’m not sure it’s the hill I would die on. We all have to pick our battles and whether or not you fight this particular battle as a parent is up to you.

I know that not many aides or paras are encouraged to communicate with parents. I could rant about that all day. But, if you are in a position to do this and feel comfortable doing it, I would.

You can just say to the parent, “Hey, I was looking over Jacob’s IEP, and I noticed there’s a lot of stuff on there he doesn’t seem to need anymore. Maybe you want to review that list before your next IEP meeting.” And leave it at that.

The other thing is this–just because you “haven’t read a test to her in years” doesn’t necessarily mean she doesn’t need it. How does she do on tests? Are we certain she no longer needs this accommodation?

Are her academic demands or environmental demands going to change soon, because she’s moving up to middle/high school? In that case, I would say nothing and leave it.

When environment and demands change, needs often increase.