Special Education Resources in Ontario

This web resource listing will help you plan and prepare for your child´s entry into school, as well as provide information about special education, links to other resources and agencies that will help you during your child´s school years.

Special Education Advisory Committees (Regulation 464/97)

The Education Act requires every district school board to establish a Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC). The members of the committee include representatives of local parent associations, members of the school board and other community members. The SEAC´s responsibilities are:

• make recommendations to the board with respect to any matter affecting the establishment, development and delivery of special education programs and services for exceptional pupils of the board
• participates in the board´s annual review of its special education plan
• participates in the board´s annual budget process as it relates to special education
• provides information to parents, as requested

The Minister´s Advisory Council on Special Education

This council advises the Minister of Education on any matter related to the establishment and provision of special education programs and special education services for exceptional pupils, including the identification and provision of early intervention programs for students with special needs.

Planning for Entry to School

The Ministry of Education has a document called Planning Entry to School: A Resource Guide designed to facilitate the planning process of preparing your child to begin school. The document can be found at the Ministry of Education website at www.edu.gov.on.ca. This website is also a great resource to assist you to find a school in your area and has a section designated to parents including frequently asking questions, publications and tips.

• For Parents: A Guide to Special Education in Ontario
  http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/parents/speced.html
• How to find a school
  http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/sift/

Resources for the School Age Years

Highlights of Regulation 181/98: Identification and Placement of Exceptional Pupils
The Education Act requires that school boards provide, or purchase from another board, special education programs and services for their exceptional pupils. This attachment provides information about the Identification, Placement, and Review Committee (IPRC), and sets out the procedures involved in identifying a pupil as "exceptional", deciding the pupil's placement, or appealing such decisions when the parent does not agree with the IPRC. http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/general/elemsec/speced/hilites.html

School Councils: A Guide for Members
Education is a partnership involving parents, students, teachers, principals, school boards, government, and the community. Your involvement in the school council gives you the opportunity to strengthen that partnership, and to be part of a dedicated team working to ensure a high quality of education and an accountable education system for the children of Ontario. http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/general/elemsec/council/guide.html

Identifying the Needs of Exceptional Pupils
Identification and Placement Review Committee (IPRC)

About Individual Education Plans (IEP)

• Individual Education Plan (IEP) A Resource Guide
  www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/general/elemsec/speced/guide/resource/iepresguid.html
• IEP Standards for Development, Program Planning & Implementation
  www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/general/elemsec/speced/iep/iep.html

Education for All
The Report of the Expert Panel on Literacy and Numeracy Instruction for Students With Special Needs, Kindergarten to Grade 6

Funding of Special Education
Special Equipment Amount / Special Incidence Portion Funding Guidelines

Shared Solutions: A Guide to Preventing and Resolving Conflicts Regarding Programs and Services for Students with Special Education Needs, 2007
www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/general/elemsec/speced/shared.html

Helping your Child Learn to Read, A Parent´s Guide,
www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/document/brochure/earlyreading/index.html

Helping your Child Learn Math, A Parent´s Guide,
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/document/brochure/earlymath/

Planning For Graduation

• Easter Seals Ontario Scholarships
• Transition Planning, A Resource Guide, 2002
  http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/general/elemsec/speced/transiti/transition.html
• Ontario Prospects 2009 Ontario´s Guide to Career Planning
  www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/prospects/index.html
• National Educational Association of Disabled Students (NEADS)
  http://www.neads.ca/en/about/

Other Websites Resources

• Ministry of Health and Long Term Care www.health.gov.on.ca
• Community Care Access Centres (CCAC) www.ccac-ont.ca
• Ministry of Children and Youth Services www.children.gov.on.ca
• Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities www.accesson.ca/ado
• Ontario Human Rights, Accommodating Students with Disabilities

Resources Specific to Physical Disability

• Ontario Association of Children´s Rehabilitation Services (OACRS) www.oacrs.com
• Ontario Federation for Cerebral Palsy www.ofcp.on.ca
• Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Association of Ontario www.sbhao.on.ca
• Muscular Dystrophy Canada www.muscle.ca