The Functional Academics Program provides teachers with the most comprehensive special education program on the market enabling students to be as independent as possible while eliminating repetitive busy work.
In this truly revolutionary new edition, The Functional Academics Program by SDES includes four new content areas – Functional Science, Functional Social Studies, Concepts, and Executive Functioning – as well as double the number of lessons overall, uniquely meeting State Standards for Special Education.
Utilized by hundreds of school districts around the world, The Functional Academics Program is a comprehensive scope and sequence roadmap that enables students with moderate to severe disabilities to improve their ability to live independently and show meaningful growth both academically and personally, while creating accountability with data-driven, evidence-based results.
Empowering Special Education Through Functional Academics
At Specially Designed Education Services, we’re proud to offer The Functional Academics Program that is built specifically to meet the diverse needs of students with moderate to severe developmental and learning disabilities including Autism. With a combined 105 years of experience in special education, the Program is designed by educators for educators, to help all students gain real-world skills while eliminating repetitive busy work.
We understand that every student learns differently. That’s why we’ve expanded our Functional Academics Program to include four new essential content areas: Functional Science, Functional Social Studies, Concepts and Executive Functioning – making Functional Academics the only whole-child-focused curriculum that uniquely meets state standards. Each area is thoughtfully created to promote independence, critical thinking, and life readiness.
Comprehensive Curriculum Designed for Diverse Learning Needs
Our Functional Academics Program supports a wide range of special education needs and is built to align with the unique learning profiles of each student. With a focus on real-life application, our curriculum goes beyond academics and empowers students with self-advocacy adaptive skills to enable them to engage with their communities in meaningful ways.
Whether you’re a special education teacher, paraeducator, peer mentor, school district, or parent, our functional education curriculum adapts to your needs and teaching style.
The Functional Academics Program is offered both in print and online. And for the first time ever, it includes the FERPA, COPA and iKeepSafe certified FLIGHT (Functional Learning Insights Guiding & Helping Teachers) platform.
FLIGHT is the only automated cloud-based data collection system, making real-time IEP progress monitoring and reporting a reality. The system is very intuitive and simple to use so it is accessible to everyone – no matter if you are tech-savvy and those more comfortable with a low-tech approach. This flexibility ensures your education team is able to deliver the highest quality instruction with all of the tools that fit your classroom.
Enhancing Student Independence with Practical Lessons
Everything we do at Specially Designed Education Services centers on helping students thrive and live as independently as possible. Our Functional Academics Assessment is easy to use and directly connects to the special education Curriculum, giving educators a clear educational roadmap. And the Program includes a dynamic mix of education tools to engage all types of learners with print and online elements including social stories in both formats that help students retain the lessons learned in print with videos and activities.
Lessons target the critical skills students need to become more independent in their daily lives—whether that means navigating social situations, understanding science in context, or managing time and tasks through executive functioning, providing a truly inclusive education.
Explore Our Program Offerings and Resources
The team at SDES is tightly focused on your success and we are with you every step of the way! In addition to being the creators of The Functional Academics Program and My Keys to the Future transition curriculum, we offer training, mentorship, and consultation tailored to your needs. Our support includes webinars, workshops at our training center in Bothell, WA, and on-site district trainings.
We also collaborate with teams on child-specific programming, classroom setup, behavior planning, and more. No matter where you are in your journey, we’re here to help you implement strategies that make a lasting impact.
Let’s Build Brighter Futures Together
Get started with Specially Designed Education Services to learn how our comprehensive Functional Academics Curriculum, Assessments, and FLIGHT Online Data System can support your MTSS framework and empower student success.
The top 10 reasons why school districts around the world choose The Functional Academics Program to support special education needs.
