PD Opportunity: Specially Designed Literacy Instruction for Students with Significant Disabilities

Specially Designed Literacy Instruction for Students with Significant Disabilities (SWSD SDI) professional development provides educators the foundational knowledge and skills to expand language, communication and comprehensive literacy skills for early emergent readers and writers. It supports IEP teams in developing their interprofessional collaboration knowledge and skills in order to diagnose, design and deliver high-quality, specially-designed literacy instruction encompassing language, communication and text comprehension.

Who Should Attend

• Elementary, middle and high school teachers who provide instruction to students with significant disabilities
• Professionals who support students with significant disabilities (e.g., Speech-Language Pathologists, Instructional Coaches, School Improvement Leaders, Behavior Interventionists, Autism Specialists, Consultants, TVI, TDHH, OT/PT, etc.)

Affordable
Free: Districts designated as Tier 2 or Tier 3 for IDEA-DA
or
Tier 1 districts: $75 per teacher per day
(license renewal credit $50 additional per credit)

Dates
Aug. 5-6, Oct. 24 and Nov. 21, 2025; Jan. 23, Feb. 20, March 27 and June 8-10, 2026
8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Heartland AEA Johnston Regional Education Center, 6500 Corporate Dr, Johnston

Registration
4 credits/10 days: Register Here

• $750 for participant only or $950 for license renewal credit
• Includes 3 group coaching sessions
• Coaching included for districts designated as Tier 2 or Tier 3 for IDEA-DA (Tier 1 districts: Contact your Heartland AEA Regional Director for options)

Contact
Kristi Upah, Chief Student Services Officer
kupah@heartlandaea.org
(515) 473-6794