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Incident response

After an incident, the school owes you a plan — in writing.

Behaviour and safety plans are not optional paperwork. When behaviour is a documented barrier to learning, Ontario boards must respond with a written, reviewable plan — not informal exclusions or verbal reassurance.

Direct answer

When behaviour is a documented barrier to learning, Ontario boards must respond with a written, reviewable plan — not informal exclusions or verbal reassurance.

Ontario Regulation 472/07 — Behaviour, Discipline and Safety of Pupils · Policy/Program Memorandum 145 — Progressive Discipline and Promoting Positive Student Behaviour · Ontario Human Rights Code, R.S.O. 1990, c. H.19, Section 11 · Verified 2026-08-10

Restraint & seclusion rights

What to do in the first hour

  1. 1

    If your child is unsafe right now

    Physical safety comes first. If your child or another student is in danger, that is an emergency response, not a documentation one — call the school office directly, or 911 if there is immediate risk of injury.

  2. 2

    Write down what happened today

    Before memory fades: date, time, what happened before the incident, what happened during it, who was present, and what staff did. This log is the record you will use in every later step.

  3. 3

    Ask for the same thing in writing

    Whatever the school tells you by phone or in person, request written confirmation by email the same day. Ontario Education Act does not extinguish a verbal explanation just because it wasn't written — but only a written record survives a dispute.

Governing sources

What is law, what is policy, and what is advocacy.

A behaviour plan sits at the intersection of a regulation, a ministry memo, and a human rights duty. Knowing which is which changes what you can insist on in writing.

Law, policy, and guidance on behaviour and safety plans
TypeRecordWhat it saysSource
LegislationOntario Regulation 472/07Before any discipline, the board must consider mitigating and other factors — including whether the behaviour was a manifestation of a disability identified in the student's IEP, and whether appropriate individualized accommodation was actually provided.Ontario Regulation 472/07 — Behaviour, Discipline and Safety of Pupils
Ministry policyPolicy/Program Memorandum 145For students with special education needs, interventions, supports, and consequences must be consistent with the student's IEP. PPM 145 also directs boards toward progressive discipline and away from exclusion as a first response.Policy/Program Memorandum 145 — Progressive Discipline and Promoting Positive Student Behaviour
Human rights dutyHuman Rights Code, s. 11The board must accommodate a student's disability to the point of undue hardship. A behaviour plan that ignores a documented disability need can itself be a Code issue.Ontario Human Rights Code, R.S.O. 1990, c. H.19, Section 11
Advocacy positionWhat this site recommendsThere is no Ontario statute that mandates a document literally titled "safety plan." A written plan is how boards commonly operationalize the duties above — request one in writing rather than relying on a verbal understanding.What this site recommends

Escalation ladder

If the school does not respond.

Each rung assumes the one before it did not get a written answer within a reasonable time. Work through them in order — each escalation is stronger when it references the written record from the step before.

  1. 1Request the meeting in writing

    Email the principal and copy the special education lead. Ask for a School Support Team meeting to develop or update a written behaviour support and safety plan. Reference PPM 145 and your child's IEP.

  2. 2Escalate to the board's special education department

    If the school does not respond within about five business days, or the plan is not put in writing, contact the special education department at the board level and reference the earlier written request.

  3. 3File a formal complaint with the board's trustee or superintendent

    If the board level does not resolve it, put the full written history — your requests, their responses, the incident log — in front of the superintendent responsible for the school, and copy your trustee.

  4. 4Contact the Ontario Ombudsman or Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario

    The Ombudsman reviews how school boards handle complaints. If the plan issue is really a failure to accommodate a documented disability, the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario is the venue for a Human Rights Code claim — this is a serious step with its own process and timelines.

Evidence & templates

Document it, then request it in writing.

Incident log: what to record every time

  • Date and time of the incident
  • What happened immediately before it (the trigger, if known)
  • What happened during it — as observed, not interpreted
  • Who was present, including staff by name or role
  • What staff did in response
  • Whether you were contacted, and how, and when

Keep this log even for incidents that seem minor. A pattern is often what a board or tribunal responds to — a single event rarely is.

Written request template

A meeting-request letter for a behaviour support and safety plan, with the fields you need to fill in marked in brackets.

Subject: Request for Behaviour Support and Safety Planning Meeting — [child], [grade]

2026-10-02

To: The Principal (copy: Special Education Lead)
[your school board]

Re: Behaviour support and safety planning for [child]

Dear Principal,

I am writing to request a meeting to develop (or update) a written behaviour support and safety plan for my child, [child] ([grade]). My understanding of the current situation is: [describe the behaviour or incident that prompted this request]

No formal supports are currently in place.

Policy/Program Memorandum 145 requires that, for students with special education needs, interventions, supports and consequences be consistent with the student's IEP. Ontario Regulation 472/07 requires consideration of mitigating and other factors before discipline — including whether the behaviour was a manifestation of a disability identified in the student's IEP, and whether appropriate individualized accommodation was provided. The Ontario Human Rights Code, section 11, requires the board to accommodate my child's disability to the point of undue hardship.

At the meeting, I would like us to agree in writing on:
1. The proactive supports and environmental changes that reduce the likelihood of incidents.
2. The de-escalation strategies staff will use, consistent with [child]'s IEP.
3. Exactly what happens, step by step, if an incident occurs — including how and when I am contacted.
4. How incidents will be documented and shared with me.
5. A review date for the plan.

Please propose a meeting date in writing within five (5) business days, and please provide the finished plan to me in writing.

Sincerely,

[Parent/Guardian Name]
[Address]
[Phone]
[Email]

--- Citations ---
• Policy/Program Memorandum 145 — for students with special education needs, interventions, supports and consequences must be consistent with the student's IEP
• Ontario Regulation 472/07, ss. 2–3 — mitigating and other factors before discipline, including whether the behaviour was a manifestation of a disability identified in the pupil's IEP
• Ontario Human Rights Code, R.S.O. 1990, c. H.19, s. 11 — duty to accommodate to the point of undue hardship

--- IMPORTANT: This template is for educational purposes only. It is not legal advice. Every family's situation is unique. For complex matters, consider consulting: • ARCH Disability Law Centre (free): archdisabilitylaw.ca • Human Rights Legal Support Centre (free): hrlsc.on.ca • Law Society Referral Service: lsrs.ca • Community Legal Aid in your area End The Wait Ontario is an advocacy organization, not a law firm.

Behaviour plans: common questions

There is no Ontario statute that requires a document literally titled "behaviour support plan." But Ontario Regulation 472/07 requires the board to consider whether a behaviour was a manifestation of a documented disability before disciplining, and PPM 145 requires interventions to be consistent with the IEP. A written plan is how boards commonly put those duties into practice — request one in writing.

Ideally, a Board Certified Behaviour Analyst (BCBA) or school psychologist in consultation with parents. Schools may use internal special education staff. If your child receives ABA services through the Ontario Autism Program, their clinical team may be able to contribute to or review the school's plan.

There is no Ontario statute that specifically permits or bans physical restraint in schools. PPM 145 requires boards to have progressive discipline policies, but restraint itself is not explicitly regulated provincially. Restraint should only ever be used as a last resort against imminent physical harm — never as routine behaviour management. If a plan includes physical intervention, request the specific written justification and the de-escalation steps that come before it.

Send a written follow-up naming the meeting date and what was verbally agreed, and ask for written confirmation within five business days. If there is still no written plan, escalate to the board's special education department, then the superintendent — each step should reference the earlier written request.

Put your request in writing

A written request gives the school a clear question and a date. Start a letter, or find the right board contact.

Build a school letterFind your board contact

Legal authority for this page

Legal authority for this page
DateRecordPublisherSource type
2008Ontario Regulation 472/07 — Behaviour, Discipline and Safety of PupilsGovernment of OntarioGovernment source
2018Policy/Program Memorandum 145 — Progressive Discipline and Promoting Positive Student BehaviourOntario Ministry of EducationGovernment source
1990Ontario Human Rights Code, R.S.O. 1990, c. H.19, Section 11Government of OntarioGovernment source

Related guides

Guides and tools related to this page.

Citable facts from this page(2)

What rights do parents have if their child is excluded from school in Ontario?

Parents can: (1) request written reasons for any exclusion, (2) appeal s.265(1)(m) exclusions to the school board, (3) request an IPRC meeting under Regulation 181/98, (4) cite the OHRC Policy on Accessible Education requiring accommodation to undue hardship, (5) file an HRTO complaint for discrimination in education services, (6) contact the Ontario Ombudsman. The Supreme Court in Moore v. BC (2012 SCC 61) held special education is "not a dispensable luxury."

Source: OHRC Policy on Accessible Education (2018); Moore v. British Columbia, 2012 SCC 61 · Open source record

What is section 265(1)(m) of Ontario's Education Act?

Section 265(1)(m) of Ontario's Education Act allows a principal to "refuse to admit to the school or classroom a person whose presence in the principal's judgment would be detrimental to the physical or mental well-being of the pupils." Unlike suspension, this exclusion has no time limit, no documentation requirement, no mandatory alternative supports, and no equivalent procedural safeguards. ARCH Disability Law Centre argues it was never intended to apply to students.

Source: Ontario Education Act, R.S.O. 1990; ARCH Disability Law Centre "Invented Power" (2017) · Open source record

Sources on this page

The source chain stays visible.

Key claims are paired with their source, evidence tier, and verification date so readers can inspect the public record directly.

Facts1
Sources1

Under the Ontario Education Act, every student with special needs is entitled to an Individual Education Plan (IEP) and access to an Identification, Placement and Review Committee (IPRC)

Primary sourceGovernment of Ontario (2024)Verified 2024-01-01
Last system verification: 2026-08-10. Next scheduled update: 2026-11-05.
View methodologyBrowse every source

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Founder & Autism Advocate

Lived experience: Parent of autistic child navigating OAP system

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