Saskatchewan Specialized Programs and Placements for Students with Intensive Needs

Saskatchewan uses the term "intensive needs" to describe students whose educational requirements exceed what can be addressed through the standard adaptive programming available in most classrooms. These students may have significant cognitive, behavioral, communication, or physical support needs — or a combination. Understanding what the provincial system actually offers, how placements are made, and what rights parents have in that process is essential if your child is being considered for a specialized setting or program.

Who Counts as a Student with Intensive Needs

Under The Education Act, 1995, Section 178, students with "intensive needs" are those requiring a level of support that goes beyond the adaptations and IIP (Inclusion and Intervention Plan) supports available in a regular classroom. The determination is made by the school division's Director of Education, typically following assessment by a psychologist or multidisciplinary team.

This designation matters because it triggers specific obligations under the Act: the right to an IIP, the right to have the IIP reviewed, and the right to a formal Section 178.1 review if parents disagree with decisions about placement or programming. Students described in some divisions as having "complex needs" are generally the same population — terminology varies by division, but the legal framework is the same.

Nationally, around 1,250 to 1,350 students with disabilities in Saskatchewan were being excluded from full-time school in the 2024-2025 school year. Some divisions report exclusion rates approaching 23% of students with intensive needs. These numbers are the backdrop against which placement decisions need to be understood.

Behaviour Support Plans (BSPs)

A Behaviour Support Plan is a document that describes the function of a student's challenging behavior, the antecedents and triggers, what the team will do to prevent and respond to the behavior, and how progress will be measured. It is typically developed following a Functional Behaviour Assessment (FBA).

A BSP is most relevant for students whose behavior creates safety concerns — for themselves, other students, or staff — and who are at risk of exclusion, suspension, or placement in a more restrictive setting because of their behavior.

Parents have the right to participate in the development of the BSP, to review it, and to consent to it as part of the IIP. If your child has a BSP and you believe it is not addressing the function of the behavior — or if the school is implementing reactive strategies (like physical intervention or exclusion) without first exhausting the proactive strategies in the BSP — this is a documentable failure you can raise with the principal and, if needed, the superintendent.

A separate post on this site covers Functional Behaviour Assessments in Saskatchewan in more detail.

Saskatchewan's Specialized Classroom Commitment

In 2024-2025, the Saskatchewan Ministry of Education committed to adding 500 "classroom complexity teachers" and developing 200 new specialized classrooms across the province. This was a response to significant public pressure about exclusion rates and the inability of many divisions to manage students with complex needs in regular classroom environments.

Specialized classrooms are designed for students whose needs cannot be safely or effectively met in a regular classroom, even with full IIP supports and EA assistance. They typically have lower student-to-teacher ratios, specialized staff training, and modified physical environments.

What parents need to understand about specialized classrooms:

Placement in a specialized classroom is not automatic and should not be the first response to a student with intensive needs. The province's stated policy commitment is to inclusion — meeting students' needs in the least restrictive environment appropriate to those needs. A specialized classroom is more restrictive than a regular classroom.

If the school is proposing a specialized placement, parents have the right to:

• Be informed in writing of the specific rationale for the proposed placement
• Participate in the placement decision
• Disagree and request a Section 178.1 formal review of the decision

The proposed placement should be justified by documented evidence that regular classroom supports with an appropriate IIP and EA support cannot meet the student's needs — not by administrative convenience, resource constraints, or a preference for grouping students with similar diagnoses.

The Balance Program

The Balance Program is a Saskatchewan Ministry of Education initiative designed for students who require a structured, therapeutic educational environment. It is typically offered by school divisions (not every division has it) as an alternative for students with significant mental health, behavioral, or emotional needs who cannot currently access the regular school environment productively.

The Balance Program is intended as transitional — a temporary placement while intensive supports are put in place and the student builds capacity to re-engage with regular school programming. Parents should ask specifically about the re-integration plan: what are the criteria for transition back, who is responsible, and over what timeline?

If your child is being placed in the Balance Program and you are uncertain about whether it is the right fit, whether the placement is temporary or indefinite, or whether your child's rights are being protected during the placement, this is exactly the kind of decision you can request a Section 178.1 formal review of.

Functional Integrated Programs (FIPs)

Functional Integrated Programs are designed for students with significant cognitive disabilities who require a curriculum focused on functional life skills rather than academic outcomes. These programs operate with modified curriculum expectations.

FIP placement has significant implications: students in a FIP are working toward functional outcomes rather than standard graduation requirements. This affects post-secondary options and eligibility for certain programs.

If the school is recommending FIP placement for your child, the decision should be based on a current comprehensive assessment — not on disability category alone. A student's cognitive abilities should be assessed, not assumed based on diagnosis. Parents who disagree with the recommendation for FIP placement can request an independent educational evaluation and initiate a Section 178.1 formal review.

Resource Teachers and Special Education Consultants

Resource teachers (also called learning resource teachers or inclusion support teachers, depending on the division) are the classroom-level specialists responsible for coordinating IIP development and implementation, providing direct instruction to students with intensive needs, and supporting classroom teachers in adapting programming. Your child's resource teacher is typically your most important ongoing contact within the school on special education matters.

Special education consultants work at the division level — not school level. They provide expertise on assessments, specialized programming, behavioral support, and complex IIP cases. They may be involved in your child's case if the needs are complex or if there is a dispute about placement or programming.

Knowing these roles helps you direct questions to the right person. Questions about day-to-day IIP implementation go to the resource teacher. Questions about assessment, placement, and the adequacy of the division's programming go to the special education consultant and, if needed, the superintendent.

Alternative Education Settings

"Alternative education" in Saskatchewan covers a range of settings outside the regular school day or the regular school building: online learning, flex schedules, home-based programs, and partnerships with community organizations. These may be offered when a student cannot currently access a regular school environment — but they are not a substitute for the full educational program the student is entitled to.

If your child is in an alternative education arrangement, ask specifically: what is the full program they are receiving, how does it compare to what a student their age would receive in a regular setting, and what is the plan to transition back to or toward a more inclusive setting? Indefinite alternative education arrangements — where the child is receiving a reduced program with no plan for reintegration — may be a form of informal exclusion that can be challenged.

School Safety Plans

For students with significant behavioral or physical support needs, the school may develop a safety plan: a document that outlines protocols for managing acute behavioral incidents, including communication with parents, staff roles, and when emergency services are to be involved.

Safety plans should not be used as a substitute for the proactive supports in the Behaviour Support Plan. A safety plan describes what happens when something goes wrong; the BSP describes what the school does to prevent things from going wrong. If the school has a detailed safety plan for your child but a thin or absent BSP, that is an imbalance worth addressing.

Parents can request a copy of any safety plan involving their child under LA FOIP. You should also be involved in developing and reviewing it.

The Saskatchewan Special Ed Advocacy Playbook covers how to evaluate placement decisions, what questions to ask at IIP meetings when specialized programs are being discussed, and how to exercise your formal review rights when you disagree.

See more Canada guides →