Question:
Can general education teachers provide special education services?
Answer:
Yes. A general education teacher can provide specially designed instruction. Federal law doesn’t reserve all such instruction for special education teachers. The teacher must meet the rules for the work, and the school must follow state requirements and the student’s individualized education program (IEP).
Supporting Documents and/or Regulations
IDEA and U.S. Department of Education Guidance
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) doesn’t require a special education teacher to personally deliver every part of special education instruction.
U.S. Department of Education’s January 2025 Building and Sustaining Inclusive Educational Practices guidance addresses who may provide specially designed instruction. Page 15 states:
“Who can provide specially designed instruction?
“Ultimately the answer needs to be based on the individual needs of a student, but IDEA does not limit who can provide specially designed instruction. For example, a math teacher could provide specially designed instruction for a child with a disability based on the child’s IEP by:
“• Allowing students to think aloud and talk through the problem-solving process;
“• Sharing a written list of steps needed to solve a math concept; or
“• Creating visual flow charts for the problem-solving process.
Under 34 CFR 300.39(b)(3), specially designed instruction means:
“adapting, as appropriate to the needs of an eligible child under this part, the content, methodology, or delivery of instruction—
“(i) To address the unique needs of the child that result from the child’s disability; and
“(ii) To ensure access of the child to the general curriculum, so that the child can meet the educational standards within the jurisdiction of the public agency that apply to all children.”
For example, a student might need direct teaching on how to organize multistep math problems. A qualified general education teacher could model the steps, guide practice, and adjust prompts when state rules and the IEP allow it. The teacher’s job title doesn’t prevent that work from being specially designed instruction.
