How to Deliver SDI Without Pulling Students Out

If you’ve ever wondered…

“How am I supposed to deliver SDI minutes without pulling students out of the classroom?”

You’re not alone.

This is one of the most common (and stressful) questions we hear from school leaders, co-teaching teams, and service providers.

Because for years, the default model has been:

• Pull the student out
• Deliver instruction in isolation
• Send them back and hope it “transfers”

But deep down, most educators already know, this outdated way of provding support creates gaps, not access.

So let’s walk through a clearer, more practical answer.

What Is SDI (Really)?

Before we solve the how, we need to clarify the what.

Specially Designed Instruction (SDI) is simply:

• Adapting the content, method, or delivery of instruction
• To meet a student’s unique needs
• So they can access the general education curriculum

That’s it.

Not a place.
Not a person.
Not a separate program.

But in reality, to provide SDI minutes, we often pull a student out of the classroom, or at best, pull them aside within the classroom. Either of which causes, students to miss core instruction, skills are taught out of context, and earning doesn’t transfer back to the classroom

The Shift: From Pull-Out to Embedded SDI

Instead of asking:

“When do we pull students out to deliver SDI?”

We shift to:

“How do we embed SDI into what’s already happening?”

Embedding means delivering specially designed instruction within general education lessons, routines, and activities, not separate from them

This approach is:

• More efficient (and effective)
• More meaningful
• More aligned with how students actually learn

And importantly, it’s one of the strongest evidence-based practices across PreK–12.

Who Can Deliver SDI? (Hint: Not Just Specialists)

One of the biggest misconceptions is that SDI must be delivered by a specialist.

In reality, SDI can be delivered by:

• General education teachers
• Special education teachers
• Related service providers
• Paraprofessionals
• Peers
• Even the environment itself

Why Embedded SDI Works Better

1. Learning is meaningful – Students practice skills in real contexts. (Pretti-Frontczak et al., 2003; Rakap et al., 2024)

2. Instruction is efficient – You don’t need extra time, you use existing time better. (Feiner, 2023; Snyder et al., 2015)

3. Support is immediate – Students get help when they need it, not later. (Rakap & Balikci, 2025; Meindl et al., 2020)

References

Feiner, K. (2023). Target acquisition and relatedness to embedded play (Master’s thesis, Vanderbilt University). Vanderbilt University Institutional Repository. https://ir.vanderbilt.edu/items/c92a9a68-c07b-4a14-a9be-9f9d623468f9

Pretti-Frontczak, K. L., Barr, D. M., Macy, M., & Carter, A. (2003). Research and resources related to activity-based intervention, embedded learning opportunities, and routines-based instruction: An annotated bibliography. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 23(1), 29–39. https://doi.org/10.1177/027112140302300104

Rakap, S., & Balikci, S. (2025). Investigating the impact of embedded learning opportunities on the engagement of children with autism and intellectual disability. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 38(3), e70073. https://doi.org/10.1111/jar.70073

Rakap, S., Balikci, S., Aydin, B., & Kalkan, S. (2024). Promoting inclusion through embedded instruction. Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10882-024-09915-8

Snyder, P., Hemmeter, M. L., & McLean, M. (2015). Embedded instruction to support early learning in inclusive settings. In B. Reichow, B. Boyd, E. Barton, & S. Odom (Eds.), Handbook of early childhood special education (pp. 283–299). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28492-7_15

Meindl, J. N., Cannella-Malone, H. I., & Alberto, P. A. (2020). Increasing engagement and independence through embedded instruction. Journal of Behavioral Education, 29(4), 672–695. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10864-019-09351-4