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Toronto District School Board: IEP and Autism Supports

Special education and autism accommodation resources for families in Toronto.

What is a TDSB IEP, and how can a parent check it?

A TDSB IEP is a written plan for the special education program and services a student receives. The principal writes it after consulting the parent (O. Reg. 181/98, s. 6). For a student placed in a program, it is due within 30 school days of placement. TDSB says it is reviewed at least once per reporting period. Below are the steps to ask for an IEP or IPRC, a parent checklist, and the appeal route.

O. Reg. 181/98, e-Laws · TDSB Individual Education Plan page · Page reviewed 2026-10-13

students
239,000
est. autistic (1 in 50 prevalence)
4,780
Toronto
Public Board

Board profile fields and enrollment estimates are from the existing school board record. Contact the board for current details. Source: TDSB board website. · Checked

In brief

Board Summary

  • Toronto District School Board (TDSB) serves Toronto and is a public board.
  • The board has approximately 239,000 enrolled students, with an estimated 4,780 autistic students (1 in 50 prevalence estimate).
  • You have the right to request an IEP review at any time. Put the request in writing to the principal.

Your Rights with This Board

  1. Request an IEP review

    Contact the school principal in writing and ask for an IEP review. Be specific about which goals or accommodations you want reviewed. O. Reg. 181/98 sets no deadline for a meeting after a parent’s request, so ask for a date in your letter and keep a copy.

  2. Escalate to the board

    If the school does not resolve the issue, contact the board's Special Education department or Superintendent of Education directly. Reference your written correspondence with the school.

  3. Use the SEAC

    Every district school board must have a Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC) that advises the board on special education (Education Act, s. 57.1). To raise a concern that affects many students, ask the board how to attend a meeting or contact a member group.

  4. File a formal complaint

    If accommodation is denied or the board is unresponsive, put your concern in writing to the board's superintendent. You can also file an application with the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (HRTO) about disability discrimination. Applications are generally due within one year of the incident (Human Rights Code, s. 34(1)).

How to request an IEP or an IPRC at TDSB

A student does not need an IPRC to have an IEP. TDSB says an IEP may be developed for a student who has not been identified as exceptional but whom the board considers to need a special education program or services. Start in writing and keep a copy.

Steps

  1. Write to your child's principal. Say whether you are asking for an IEP, an IPRC, or both. TDSB's Special Education Plan says a parent request for an IPRC must be made in writing to the principal.
  2. If you ask for an IEP and the answer is no, ask for the reasons in writing. The Plan says the principal decides whether to introduce an IEP and tells parents why.
  3. Look for a written reply within 15 days of an IPRC request. The principal must give you the board parents’ guide, a note of about when the committee will first meet, and a written acknowledgement (O. Reg. 181/98, s. 14(6)). The Regulation sets no deadline for the meeting itself.
  4. Watch for the meeting notice. The chair must give you written notice of the time and place at least 10 days ahead (s. 5(5)). The Plan adds that you should get a copy of the documents the committee will read.
  5. Send anything you want the committee to see. The Plan says the principal must ask whether you have more documents and pass them on, to arrive at least five days before the meeting.
  6. Once your child is placed in a program, the principal must make sure the IEP is finished and a copy is sent to you within 30 school days (s. 6(8)).

Sources: O. Reg. 181/98 on e-Laws (current to October 8, 2026) and the TDSB Special Education Plan 2026-2027, Sections H and K, read on October 13, 2026.

Is there a TDSB IEP audit tool?

We looked on tdsb.on.ca on October 13, 2026 and did not find a TDSB tool for auditing an IEP. This page is not one either. It is a reading aid. If TDSB publishes a tool later, use that first.

What TDSB does publish

  • An Individual Education Plan page. It says an IEP is reviewed and updated as the student’s strengths and areas for improvement change, at least once per reporting period.
  • A Guide to IEPs and a Guide to IPRCs for parents, linked from that page.
  • Section K of the Special Education Plan, on how IEPs are developed, filed and how disagreements are handled.

Outside TDSB, this site has an 8-question parent self-audit and template letters, built around the Auditor General’s May 2026 report on special education. A checklist is not a legal test and this is not legal advice.

A parent checklist to review your child’s TDSB IEP

A reading aid, not a legal test. Each line shows its source. A "no" is a reason to ask a question in writing, not proof that a rule was broken.

Seven questions to ask

  1. Were you consulted? The principal must consult you, and your child if 16 or older, when developing the plan (O. Reg. 181/98, s. 6(6)).
  2. Does it list specific educational expectations for your child? (s. 6(3)(a))
  3. Does it outline the special education program and services your child will receive, such as an EA, a class placement, therapy or assistive technology? (s. 6(3)(b))
  4. Does it say how your child’s progress will be reviewed? (s. 6(3)(c))
  5. If your child is 14 or older, is there a plan for moving on to work, further education or community living? Students identified only as gifted are the exception (s. 6(4) and (5)).
  6. Was it finished, and a copy sent to you, within 30 school days after your child was placed in the program? (s. 6(8))
  7. Is it being reviewed at least once per reporting period? This is TDSB’s own stated practice on its IEP page. It is not a line in the Regulation.

If something is missing, write to the principal, name the item, and ask for it to be added or explained. Keep the reply.

IPRC at TDSB: what happens and what to bring

The IPRC decides whether a student is identified as exceptional and where they should be placed. A regular class is considered first, if it would meet the student’s needs and fits parental preferences (O. Reg. 181/98, s. 17). After a placement, the IPRC reviews it at least once each school year unless a parent waives the review in writing. A parent can ask for a review after the placement has been in effect three months (s. 21).

Documents the Plan says an IPRC generally needs

  • An educational assessment.
  • The most recent provincial report card or Kindergarten Communication of Learning.
  • An IEP.
  • A psychological assessment for most exceptionalities, or other professional assessments such as a medical diagnosis.
  • A completed Individual Learning Plan from the most recent School Support Team meeting, with a recommendation to go to an IPRC.
  • A record of consultation with parents, and any documents you think are relevant.

If you disagree with the decision

  1. Ask in writing, within 15 days of receiving the statement of decision, for a meeting with the committee (s. 19). TDSB’s Plan also says parents can ask the IPRC to reconvene to hear new information.
  2. To appeal, file a notice of appeal with the board secretary. The deadline is 30 days from receiving the statement of decision if no follow-up meeting was held, or 15 days from the notice that follows a meeting (s. 26).
  3. The appeal board has three members: one chosen by the board, one chosen by you, and a chair chosen by those two (s. 27). It either agrees with the committee or makes a recommendation to the board (s. 28).
  4. The board has 30 days to decide what to do and tell you in writing. That notice must explain your further right to appeal to the Special Education Tribunal (s. 30).

This is general information, not legal advice.

Autism Intensive Support Program (ISP) classes at TDSB

TDSB’s Special Education Plan 2026-2027 (Section J) calls a full-time special education class an Intensive Support Program, or ISP. An IPRC decides placement. The Plan says a class placement is usually expected to be for a limited time and reviewed each year, with a goal of returning to the regular program as soon as feasible.

Eligibility for an autism ISP, as the Plan words it

  • An exceptionality of Communicational: Autism.
  • Psychological assessment results that show at least average thinking and reasoning skills in either the verbal or nonverbal domain composite score.
  • An outline of learning strengths and needs showing challenges in reaching academics because of verbal or non-verbal communication and alternative programming needs.
  • Evidence of alternative programming needs, such as social, communication and behaviour skills, from professional or teacher assessments recorded on the IEP.

The Plan also says that in rare cases with no psychological assessment, information can come from classroom observation, informal assessment, adaptive information and other documents. It lists the autism ISP as Grades 1 to 12, in local neighbourhood schools, with six students per class and, in elementary schools, one teacher and one child and youth worker. The number and location of programs depends on student need. This page makes no claim about how long a place takes.

Autism Regional Services: help for school staff

TDSB’s Special Education and Inclusion Department runs Autism Regional Services (ARS), a team that helps school staff support students with an ASD diagnosis. The Plan describes it as consultation for staff, not therapy for students. The School Support Team decides on requests. When the help is about one student, parent permission is required.

What the Plan says ARS may include

  • Modelling strategies based on ABA principles, as set out in PPM 140.
  • Program support to the classroom teacher.
  • IEP and safety plan support.
  • Transition planning under PPM 156.
  • Staff training, links to community partners, parent engagement and help with behaviour assessment.

Speech-language pathologists at TDSB

TDSB’s Special Education Plan 2026-2027 (Section F, Speech Language Pathology Services) says its speech-language pathologists (SLPs) work in three tiers. This is how the Plan describes the route.

The three tiers, as the Plan words them

  • Tier 1 is school-wide support, such as learning sessions for educators and parents.
  • Tier 2 is group support, such as in-class help for a whole class or a small group.
  • Tier 3 is individual SLP service. A referral starts at the School Support Team and needs the informed consent of the parent, or of a student who is 18 or older.

The Plan says SLP assessments cover areas such as oral language, speech, augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and social communication. It also lists referrals to outside services, including School Based Rehabilitation Services for speech therapy. If you think your child needs this, ask the principal in writing for a School Support Team meeting. Plan read on October 13, 2026.

If you disagree with the IEP or it is not being followed

TDSB’s Plan (Section K) says the principal must give due consideration to what you ask for in an IEP, and must tell you why a request was not included. For disagreements it lists these steps, run through the principal:

Steps in the Plan

  1. Talk with the teacher or teachers and the principal to name the concern and look for a fix.
  2. Ask for a School Support Team meeting with you and the right staff.
  3. If it is still unresolved, ask the principal to arrange a meeting with you. The superintendent may be consulted and may attend.
  4. If all of that has been tried, the Plan says you can write to the Ministry of Education for help.

The Human Rights Code also applies to schools. See the rights guide for how it works alongside the Education Act. This is general information, not legal advice.

Keep your own file

Records to keep for a TDSB IEP or IPRC

  • Every written request you send, with the date, and the reply you receive.
  • The date the principal acknowledged an IPRC request in writing, and the note about when the committee would first meet.
  • The IPRC meeting notice, the documents sent with it, and the written statement of decision.
  • Each draft and final copy of the IEP, with the date you received it.
  • The IEP consultation letter and your response.
  • Report cards, assessments and any new reports you gave the school, with the date you gave them.
  • Dated notes of calls and meetings: who was there and what was agreed.

Escalation path at TDSB

Teacher, then principal, then a School Support Team meeting, then a meeting arranged by the principal that the superintendent may attend, then the Ministry of Education on written request (TDSB Special Education Plan 2026-2027, Section K). For questions about IPRC procedure, the Plan says the Centrally Assigned Principal of Special Education and Inclusion provides information to all parties (Section H).

FAQ, TDSB

Write to your child's principal and ask for an IEP. Your child does not need an IPRC first: TDSB says an IEP may be developed for a student who has not been identified as exceptional but whom the board considers to need a special education program or services. For a student placed in a program after an IPRC, the IEP must be finished and a copy sent to you within 30 school days of placement (O. Reg. 181/98, s. 6(8)). Keep a copy of your request.

The IPRC (Identification, Placement and Review Committee) is a formal panel that decides whether your child is "exceptional" under Ontario law and where they should be placed. On your written request, the principal must refer your child to an IPRC (O. Reg. 181/98, s. 14(1)(b)). Within 15 days, the principal must acknowledge the request in writing, give you the board's parents' guide, and tell you approximately when the IPRC will meet (s. 14(6)). The chair must give you written notice of the meeting at least 10 days ahead (s. 5(5)). The Regulation sets no deadline for the meeting itself, and this page cannot say how long TDSB takes. You have the right to attend, present information, and appeal.

Section 6 of O. Reg. 181/98 does not promise a 1:1 EA. It does require the IEP to outline the special education program and services your child will receive (s. 6(3)(b)). If an EA is part of the support planned for your child, the IEP should say so. If you think the support written in the IEP is not enough, raise it in writing with the principal first, then follow the steps on this page.

TDSB's Special Education Plan 2026-2027 (Section J) lists regular class with indirect support, regular class with resource assistance (elementary only), regular class with withdrawal assistance, special education class with partial integration, and full-time special education class, called an Intensive Support Program (ISP). An IPRC considers a regular class first and recommends a placement. The Plan says parents decide whether to accept or decline an offer of placement.

File a notice of appeal with the board secretary. The deadline is 30 days from receiving the statement of decision if no follow-up meeting was held, or 15 days from the notice that follows a meeting (O. Reg. 181/98, s. 26). A three-member special education appeal board hears the appeal and either agrees with the committee or makes a recommendation to the board. If you still disagree after the board decides, you may appeal to the Special Education Tribunal. Legal clinics such as ARCH Disability Law Centre may be able to help. This is not legal advice.

Autism Regional Services is a TDSB team that helps school staff support students with an ASD diagnosis. TDSB's Plan describes it as consultation for staff, such as modelling ABA-based strategies, help with IEP and safety plans, and transition planning. It is not direct therapy for students. The School Support Team decides on requests, and parent permission is needed when the help is about one student.

If your child is 14 or older, the IEP must include a plan for moving on to work, further education or community living, unless your child is identified only as gifted (O. Reg. 181/98, s. 6(4) and (5)). For the move to high school, ask your child's school early in Grade 8 how the receiving school will get the full IEP and any behaviour support plan.

TDSB's Plan says SEAC meets monthly and that meeting information for the 2026-2027 school year is on the SEAC website. SEAC advises the board on special education programs and services, and takes part in the annual review of the Special Education Plan and the budget process. Check the SEAC page for how to attend or contact members.

We did not find one on tdsb.on.ca on October 13, 2026. TDSB publishes an IEP page, parent guides to IEPs and IPRCs, and Section K of its Special Education Plan. This site has an 8-question parent self-audit and template letters. They are reading aids, not a legal test.

TDSB's Special Education Plan 2026-2027, in its Psychological Services description, says wait times for a psychological assessment can range from several months to up to a calendar year, and that assessments are given according to prioritized needs within each school. The request goes through the School Support Team, and a parent of a student under 18 must give informed consent. TDSB publishes a range, not a date for your child, so ask the principal in writing where the referral stands. Plan read on October 13, 2026.

TDSB's IEP page says an IEP is reviewed and updated as the student's strengths and areas for improvement change, at least once per reporting period. That is TDSB's stated practice. O. Reg. 181/98 separately requires every IEP to include a statement of how progress will be reviewed (s. 6(3)(c)).

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

Related Education Resources

Claims and sources from this page(3)

What rights do autistic students have in Ontario schools?

In Ontario, students with autism have the right to an Individual Education Plan (IEP) and reasonable accommodations without a formal diagnosis, based on need. Parents can request an IPRC meeting to identify their child as 'exceptional', guaranteeing specific rights to support services. Pending verification: Editorial review not recorded. Excluded from citation-ready exports.

Source: Ontario Education Act · Open source record

Can my child get an IEP without an autism diagnosis?

You do NOT need a formal medical diagnosis to get an IEP (Individual Education Plan) in Ontario schools. Write to your principal requesting an IPRC meeting, state you have a 'medical referral in progress,' and focus on identifying your child's needs rather than diagnostic labels. Pending verification: Source link not recorded; Editorial review not recorded. Excluded from citation-ready exports.

Source: Ontario Education Act

Can autistic students get an educational assistant (EA)?

School boards may assign educational assistants (EAs) to autistic students based on needs identified through the IEP process. How EAs are allocated varies by board and school, so ask the principal how support is assigned for your child. Pending verification: Editorial review not recorded. Excluded from citation-ready exports.

Source: Ontario Ministry of Education — special education · 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
Sources2

Under Ontario Regulation 181/98, an Identification, Placement and Review Committee (IPRC) can place a student in a special education program. Once that placement starts, the principal has 30 school days to make sure an Individual Education Plan (IEP) is completed. Ministry policy (PPM 140) also lets boards write IEPs for students who have not been formally identified by an IPRC

Primary sourceGovernment of Ontario (1998)Verified 2026-10-04
Last system verification: 2026-08-10. Next scheduled update: 2026-11-05.
View methodologyBrowse every source

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Lived experience: Parent of autistic child navigating OAP system

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