Saskatchewan Special Education Acronyms and Terminology: A Parent's Reference Guide

Walking into a school meeting about your child's special education needs and encountering a wall of acronyms is disorienting. Teachers and administrators use this language constantly and often forget that parents have not spent years in the system. Understanding the terminology is not a small thing — it is the difference between following the conversation and agreeing to things you do not fully understand.

This guide defines the terms that matter most for Saskatchewan parents. It is organized by category so you can find what you need quickly.

Plans and Programs

IIP — Inclusion and Intervention Plan This is Saskatchewan's version of what many other jurisdictions call an IEP (Individual Education Plan). An IIP is the formal document that describes a student's educational needs, the supports that will be provided, the goals the student is working toward, and how progress will be measured. If your child has intensive needs, they are legally entitled to an IIP. The IIP must be developed by a collaborative team that includes parents. You have the right to participate in developing it, to review it, and to decline to sign it if you disagree with its contents.

PPP — Personal Program Plan An older term that is sometimes still used in Saskatchewan, particularly in older documents or by staff who have been in the system for many years. It refers to the same document as an IIP — the individualized plan for a student with special needs. If you hear "PPP" in a meeting, it means the same thing as IIP.

IEP — Individual Education Plan / Individual Education Program Not Saskatchewan terminology. Saskatchewan uses IIP. But because IEP is the dominant term in the United States and other Canadian provinces, many parents and some teachers still use it. When you see "IEP" in materials about Saskatchewan, it typically means IIP.

BSP — Behaviour Support Plan A written plan that describes the function of a student's challenging behavior and what the school will do to prevent, support, and respond to that behavior. A BSP is developed when behavior is creating safety concerns or affecting the student's ability to access education. It should be based on a Functional Behaviour Assessment (FBA) and should emphasize proactive strategies over reactive responses.

FIP — Functional Integrated Program A program designed for students with significant cognitive disabilities who require a curriculum focused on functional life skills. Students in a FIP are working toward functional outcomes rather than standard graduation requirements. Placement in a FIP is a significant decision that affects post-secondary options and should be based on current, comprehensive assessment.

PPP (second meaning) — Prescribed Program of Studies In some contexts, PPP refers to the standard provincial curriculum that most students follow. Context matters — if someone uses PPP to mean the prescribed program, they are referring to regular curriculum, not a personal plan.

Curriculum Terms

Adaptations Changes to how a student accesses the curriculum — extended time, oral testing, text-to-speech software, reduced copying, graphic organizers, preferential seating — that do not change what the student is learning or what outcomes they are working toward. A student with adaptations remains on the standard curriculum and receives a regular transcript. Adaptations appear on the IIP.

Modifications Changes to the curriculum outcomes themselves. A student with modifications is working toward different (typically reduced) expectations compared to same-grade peers. Modifications affect what credit is awarded and can affect post-secondary eligibility. This is a significant distinction from adaptations. Parents have the right to understand exactly which subjects involve modifications and to decline modifications if they prefer adaptations.

Adaptive Dimension Saskatchewan's policy framework for how teachers differentiate instruction for students with diverse learning needs. The Adaptive Dimension (updated in 2023) describes how teachers are expected to adjust their instruction, materials, and assessment approaches. This is different from the IIP — the Adaptive Dimension is about classroom practice; the IIP is the formal plan for an individual student.

Staff Roles

EA — Educational Assistant The support person who works directly with a student in the classroom, implementing the supports described in the IIP, providing physical assistance, behavioral support, or academic support depending on the student's needs. EAs are typically not regulated professionals — their training and qualifications vary. EA hours for a student should be specified in the IIP, and if EA hours are reduced or not provided, that is a documented failure to implement the plan.

Resource Teacher / Learning Resource Teacher (LRT) The school-based specialist who coordinates IIP development and implementation, provides direct instruction to students with intensive needs, and supports classroom teachers. This is your primary contact for day-to-day IIP concerns.

Special Education Consultant A division-level specialist (not school-level) who provides expertise on assessments, specialized programming, and complex cases. Involved when the situation is beyond what the resource teacher and principal can manage, or when there is a formal dispute.

SLP — Speech-Language Pathologist A regulated health professional who assesses and treats communication disorders, including speech sound disorders, language delays, stuttering, and swallowing difficulties. School divisions are required to make SLP services available to students with intensive needs. Wait times in Saskatchewan currently run six to twelve months in many divisions.

OT — Occupational Therapist A regulated health professional who assesses and supports students' functional participation in school activities: fine motor skills, sensory processing, self-care, and organizational skills. Like SLP, OT is a required service for students with intensive needs and faces similar wait times.

Psych — Educational Psychologist / School Psychologist The professional responsible for psychoeducational assessments — standardized testing of cognitive ability, academic achievement, and learning profiles. The psych's assessment report is often the document that formally identifies a student's intensive needs and informs IIP development.

Assessment Terms

FBA — Functional Behaviour Assessment An assessment process (not a single test) that identifies the function of a student's challenging behavior — what the student is getting or avoiding through the behavior. An FBA informs the development of a Behaviour Support Plan. It involves direct observation, data collection, and interviews with staff and parents.

Psychoeducational Assessment A comprehensive assessment of a student's cognitive abilities, academic achievement, and learning profile, conducted by a psychologist. It is the standard assessment used to identify learning disabilities, intellectual disabilities, and other conditions that affect learning. Private psychoeducational assessments in Saskatchewan cost $2,000 to $3,500. School divisions conduct them through their psychology department, subject to waitlists.

Needs-Based Model Saskatchewan's policy framework (formalized in 2023 with Actualizing a Needs-Based Model) that bases educational support on a student's functional needs rather than on diagnosis category. A student does not need a formal diagnosis to receive IIP supports — what matters is the documented functional impact on their ability to access education.

Legal and Process Terms

Section 178 / Intensive Needs Section 178 of The Education Act, 1995 (Saskatchewan) establishes the legal definition of students with intensive needs and the obligations of school divisions toward them. Section 178 also gives parents the right to request an assessment in writing.

Section 178.1 — Formal Review Section 178.1 of The Education Act gives parents the statutory right to request a formal review by the Board of Education when they disagree with a decision about their child's educational placement or programming. The Board must establish an independent review committee. This is Saskatchewan's equivalent to a due process hearing.

SHRC — Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission The provincial body that investigates complaints of discrimination under The Saskatchewan Human Rights Code, 2018. School divisions have a duty to accommodate disability up to the point of undue hardship. Failure to do so can be the basis of an SHRC complaint.

LA FOIP — Local Authority Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act The provincial legislation that gives parents the right to request records held by school divisions about their child. School records, IIP documents, email correspondence, and assessment reports can be requested under LA FOIP. The fee is $20 and the division has 30 days to respond.

SACY — Student Advocate for Children and Youth An independent officer of the Saskatchewan Legislative Assembly who advocates for children and youth involved in provincial systems including education.

Jordan's Principle A federal policy that ensures First Nations children receive government-funded services without being delayed by jurisdictional disputes between federal and provincial governments. In education, Jordan's Principle can fund EAs, therapies, and other supports when the provincial system has a gap or delay.

If a term comes up in a meeting that is not on this list, ask the school to define it in plain language before the meeting continues. Your right to understand the plan for your child's education is not a procedural technicality — it is a precondition for meaningful consent.

The Saskatchewan Special Ed Advocacy Playbook uses plain language throughout and includes a reference section on Saskatchewan's legal and policy framework — so you can participate in IIP meetings as an informed partner rather than a passive observer.

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