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Education Guide
Before enrolling in Peel, contact the home school and ask for the current special-education contact, placement process, and program list. PDSB serves Brampton, Mississauga, and Caledon.
Case file
What's happening
Before enrolling in Peel, contact the home school and ask for the current special-education contact, placement process, and program list. PDSB serves Brampton, Mississauga, and Caledon.
Ask for it in writing today
Whatever you decide to request, put it in writing and date it — a verbal answer leaves no record. The School Support Navigator can draft a letter for your specific situation.
What records to keep
A dated log of calls, emails, and meetings matters more than memory once a dispute runs past a few weeks. The Parent Documentation Toolkit walks through what to track.
The rule or duty that applies
2 governing sources for this topic, listed below with what each one covers.
The escalation ladder
If the first request does not resolve it, there is a standard next step — from the school, up through the board, to the Ombudsman and the Tribunal.
The evidence
4 verified figures for this topic, sourced below.
What to do next
A short list of concrete next actions, including where to raise this with your MPP.
PDSB's May 2025 Special Education Plan lists full-time ASD classes at the elementary and secondary levels. The elementary options include classes for Grades 3 to 5 and Grades 6 to 8, while the secondary list includes a full-time ASD class.
Placement in an ASD classroom is determined through the Identification, Placement, and Review Committee (IPRC) process. Parents can request an IPRC meeting to discuss whether an ASD classroom is appropriate. The child's IEP team provides input on placement.
Students in ASD classrooms may also participate in regular classroom activities for parts of the day. This integration is planned based on the student's readiness and goals. The aim is to provide the least restrictive environment possible.
PDSB's May 2025 plan says Special Needs Itinerant Teachers would be replaced by Special Programs Resource Teachers in the 2024-2025 school year. The plan says these teachers support school teams, attend IPRC meetings for students eligible for an ASD identification, and help with school transitions. They also develop professional learning for educators and EAs and provide expertise in ABA, positive behaviour plans, assessment, and programming for students with complex needs.
Families can request involvement of the Autism Resource Team through their child's school. The team conducts classroom observations, reviews the IEP, and recommends strategies. They also assist with transition planning between grades and schools.
The Autism Resource Team coordinates with external service providers. This includes Ontario Autism Program (OAP) funded therapists, community agencies, and hospital programs. Collaboration between school and community supports leads to better outcomes.
PDSB has structured transition processes for key stages: entry to kindergarten, elementary to secondary, and secondary to post-secondary or community. Each transition point includes planning meetings with parents and receiving school staff.
For the kindergarten transition, PDSB offers school visits and gradual entry options. Families can share reports from private therapists. The school team reviews this information before the child starts.
The secondary-to-adult transition begins at age 14 and includes community living skills, employment preparation, and connections to adult services like Developmental Services Ontario (DSO).
Peel District School Board
Special Education Plan and Annual Report (peelschools.org)
Ontario Ministry of Education
Special Education in Ontario: Policy and Resource Guide
Escalation ladder
This is general information, not legal advice, and no outcome is guaranteed at any rung. It is the same escalation path used across End The Wait Ontario's School Support Navigator.
Put your concern in writing to the principal. Most issues resolve at this level once there is a dated, written record — and every later rung will ask what you raised here.
If the principal does not respond in writing or the issue continues, escalate to the board's superintendent responsible for special education, attaching your correspondence with the school.
The board level: the Director of Education, and in parallel the board's SEAC (Special Education Advisory Committee) for systemic issues. Suspension appeals also live here — with a 10-school-day notice window (Education Act, s. 309(3)).
Since September 1, 2015, the Ontario Ombudsman takes complaints about school boards. It reviews how the board handled your concern — bring your dated chronology and the record of the steps you already took.
The HRTO hears applications about discrimination, including disability discrimination in education services. Applications must be filed within one year of the incident (or the last in a series) — Human Rights Code, s. 34(1). This site provides general information only; get advice from the Human Rights Legal Support Centre (hrlsc.on.ca) or a lawyer before filing.
Write to your child's principal to request an IPRC referral. The committee reviews the child's learning portrait and discusses whether a special education identification and placement are required. PDSB's current contact page lists 905-890-1010.
PDSB does not provide ABA therapy directly. However, the board's Autism Resource Teachers use evidence-based strategies informed by ABA principles. Families receiving OAP-funded ABA can coordinate with the school to align strategies between home, therapy, and school.
You can ask about a school with an ASD classroom. Placement may depend on needs, space, transportation, and board criteria. Ask Special Education Services for the current process and reasons in writing.
Next steps
Commitment to Accuracy: Our data is verified against official government reports (FAO, MCCSS), peer-reviewed scientific literature, and accessible public records. Last updated: March 24, 2026.
Next Steps
Now that you know how it works, here's how to navigate it for your child.
Related Resources
Can autistic students get an educational assistant (EA)?
VerifiedSchools may assign EAs based on IEP needs, but 47% of families report insufficient supports. EA availability varies by board and often fails to match clinical needs, leaving many autistic students without necessary classroom support.
Source: Ontario Education Act & OAC · Verify Link
What rights do autistic children have to timely services in Ontario?
VerifiedCanadian Charter of Rights (Section 15) protects against discrimination based on disability. The Ontario Human Rights Code prohibits unequal treatment in services. OHRC has investigated the OAP waitlist as potential systemic discrimination. Families can file human rights complaints for unreasonable delays.
Source: Canadian Charter, OHRC · Verify Link