Supporting individualized programming and transition-focused learning for students with intellectual disabilities in Manitoba schools
In Manitoba, inclusion is a way of thinking and acting that allows every individual to feel accepted, valued, and safe.
Inclusive communities evolve to meet the changing needs of their members and provide meaningful involvement and equal access to the benefits of citizenship.
School boards are required to provide appropriate educational programming for all students.
For most students, this is the provincial curriculum.
For some students, additional supports are needed to access the curriculum.
For a smaller number of students, highly individualized learning outcomes may be needed in addition to or instead of the provincial curriculum.
For some students with intellectual disabilities, appropriate educational programming includes individualized programming that focuses on functionally appropriate learning experiences related to building independence in domains outside the provincial curriculum.
This supports meaningful involvement in the school community and promotes student well-being.
Individualized programming may include student-specific outcomes connected to:
These outcomes are written in an IEP and developed through student-specific planning.
Examples of functionally appropriate school-based learning experiences may include:
These kinds of routines fit Manitoba's emphasis on building independence through individualized programming.
Schools can create purposeful opportunities for students to contribute through simple, valued jobs such as:
Manitoba's inclusion framework supports student participation in both the academic and social life of schools. For this reason, individualized programming should also include opportunities for:
Structured and unstructured play opportunities that build skills and joy
Shared leisure routines that connect students to school life
Meaningful connection with peers through shared activities and routines
Fun, friendship, and belonging are not extras. They are part of quality educational programming.
Transition planning in Manitoba encourages schools and families to think about community experiences, adult options, volunteering, recreation, work/community placements, and living in the community with increasing independence.
Functional learning may include:
This kind of learning fits a transition-oriented approach because Manitoba's protocol encourages assessment and practice in real-life settings such as worksites, homes, and retail stores.
For some students, individualized programming may include explicit teaching in safety and self-protection, including:
Schools can teach simple, concrete safety lessons such as:
Messages claiming you've won something you didn't enter
Requests for an address or phone number from unknown contacts
Any message asking for financial or login information
People online who are not who they say they are
Messages telling someone to act right away
The goal is functional safety: stop, do not respond, and check with a trusted adult.
Manitoba describes a student-specific plan as a planning, record-keeping, and communication tool developed and implemented by a team to address the unique learning needs of a student.
Parents and students should have opportunities to participate in development, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation.
Principals designate a case manager to coordinate the student-specific plan.
Manitoba's guidance says the classroom teacher creates a daily plan that links the IEP to daily instruction, using the existing timetable and daily activities, along with specific supports, strategies, and materials.
This means daily living skills and independence goals should be embedded in real school routines, not treated as disconnected add-ons.
The provincial transition protocol says planning should begin in the school year when the student enters high school.
Students, families, schools, and community partners work together over time to support a coordinated transition from school to life in the community.
Transition planning begins
Students, families, schools, and community partners collaborate
Real-life practice in community settings
Coordinated transition to community living
Person-centred transition planning in Manitoba focuses on the student's interests, strengths, needs, and circumstances.
What the student does well and brings to every setting
What the student enjoys and is motivated by
Supports and accommodations that help the student thrive
Hopes and aspirations for adult life
People and resources that increase capacity for participation
For some students, meaningful education includes more than academic outcomes alone.
Learning to manage daily life with growing confidence and skill
Learning to stay safe in school, online, and in the community
Belonging and contributing in meaningful ways
Building friendships and connections that last beyond school
With dignity and support, ready for what comes next
That is fully consistent with Manitoba's approach to inclusion, appropriate educational programming, and transition planning.
When schools intentionally create spaces and routines for daily living skills, leisure, safety, and community participation, they are not stepping outside education.
They are delivering appropriate educational programming in ways that honour inclusion, support individualized planning, and prepare students for meaningful adult life.
Grounded in Manitoba's vision of belonging and equal access
Connected to IEPs and student-specific goals
Building the skills, safety, and connections students need to thrive
Creating School Spaces for Daily Living Skills, Independence, and Meaningful Participation