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Education Series
The Special Education Grant supports programs and services in Ontario schools. This guide explains how boards allocate special education resources, including Educational Assistant support.
Direct answer
Ontario Ministry of Education funding components · Verified 2026-08-10
Funding components and sources
| Program | What it funds | Source |
|---|---|---|
| SEPPA, Special Education Per-Pupil Amount | Every school board receives a per-pupil amount for special education, regardless of how many formally identified exceptional students they have. | Ministry of Education |
| SIP, Special Incidence Portion | Extra funding for students with extraordinarily high needs. Up to $28,803 annually per eligible full-time student (2022-23 Ministry maximum; confirm with your board), enough to fund about half an EA position. | Ministry maximum (2022-23) |
| SEA, Specialized Equipment Allocation | Funds specialized equipment for individual students, separate from staffing. | The board pays for items under $5,000 from its formula amount and sends the Ministry a claim for single items of $5,000 or more. |
The foundation of special education funding. Every school board receives a per-pupil amount for special education, regardless of how many formally identified exceptional students they have. This funds:
Key insight: SEPPA is formula-based. Boards cannot claim they "didn't receive enough", every board gets the same per-pupil rate. The question is how they allocate it.
Extra funding for students with extraordinarily high needs. Up to $28,803 annually per eligible full-time student (2022-23 Ministry maximum; confirm with your board), enough to fund about half an EA position.
Source: Ministry maximum (2022-23). Verified 2026-08-10.
Eligibility criteria:
Parent action: Ask "Has a SIP claim been submitted for my child?" If yes, that confirms the board recognizes your child's needs are severe. If no, ask why not.
The Ministry's 2026-27 SEA Directives set two routes:
What to know: the use of the equipment must be written in the current IEP. A student does not need an IPRC identification, but must be receiving special education programs and services. The board owns SEA equipment and it is meant for school use. The Directives name items that a claim does not cover, such as sensory carts, swings, tents, FM systems and wheelchairs. Boards are also told to consider coordinating with the Assistive Devices Program, which partly funds equipment a person owns and can use at home and at school.
Ask your board: "Which SEA route would cover this item, and whose assessment do you need?" Source: Ministry of Education, SEA Directives 2026-27, read 2026-10-13. The Ministry can change the Directives each year.
"We don't have the budget for a dedicated EA."
The board received Special Education Grant funding. They chose to allocate EA hours differently. Ask for the allocation breakdown.
"EA support is assigned to schools, not students."
This is true procedurally. But the Human Rights Code requires accommodation to the point of undue hardship. If your child's safety needs require dedicated support, the duty to accommodate overrides internal allocation practices.
"The Ministry doesn't fund enough for all students."
While total funding may be insufficient system-wide, the question is whether your board is spending its special education grant on special education. Boards have historically redirected these funds.
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
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Key claims are paired with their source, evidence tier, and verification date so readers can inspect the public record directly.
$965M
Ontario allocated $965M to the Ontario Autism Program in 2026-27
The FAO estimated $1.35 billion in annual OAP need at 2018-19 service levels for approximately 40,700 children in its 2020 report
91,974
children are registered in the Ontario Autism Program
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
Check the author’s context, review method, and how to report an error.
Founder & Autism Advocate
Lived experience: Parent of autistic child navigating OAP system