Privacy, on your terms.Analytics run by default. Decline any time.

Public information

High School Planning for Autistic Teens in Ontario

Start high-school planning with your teen's goal after graduation. Ask guidance which courses keep that goal open, which supports can be written into the IEP, and which deadlines apply to your teen's cohort.

Direct answer

Start high-school planning with your teen's goal after graduation. Ask guidance which courses keep that goal open, which supports can be written into the IEP, and which deadlines apply to your teen's cohort.

Ontario Ministry of Education · Ontario Ministry of Education · Verified 2026-02-22

In brief

Key points

  • High school planning for autistic teens in Ontario, with course choices, OSSD pathways, IEP transition planning, and post-secondary prep.
  • OSSD credit requirement: 30 credits (17 compulsory + 13 optional for Grade 9 entry in 2024-25 onward) (Ontario Ministry of Education)
  • Transition plan requirement: Mandatory for all students with an IEP (Ontario Ministry of Education, PPM 156)
Key facts and their listed sources · last verified 2026-02-22
FactRecordSource
OSSD credit requirement30 credits (17 compulsory + 13 optional for Grade 9 entry in 2024-25 onward)Ontario Ministry of Education
Transition plan requirementMandatory for all students with an IEPOntario Ministry of Education, PPM 156
Extended high school optionNot yet confirmed against the board's written policyWe are still checking the source for this figure
OSSC alternative credential14 credits (7 compulsory + 7 optional)Ontario Ministry of Colleges and Universities
OSSD credit requirement
30 credits (17 compulsory + 13 optional for Grade 9 entry in 2024-25 onward)
Ontario Ministry of Education
Transition plan requirement
Mandatory for all students with an IEP
Ontario Ministry of Education, PPM 156
Extended high school option
Not yet confirmed against the board's written policy
We are still checking the source for this figure
OSSC alternative credential
14 credits (7 compulsory + 7 optional)
Ontario Ministry of Colleges and Universities

How this page is organized

  1. What's happening

    Start high-school planning with your teen's goal after graduation. Ask guidance which courses keep that goal open, which supports can be written into the IEP, and which deadlines apply to your teen's cohort.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. The rule or duty that applies

    2 governing sources for this topic, listed below with what each one covers.

  5. 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.

  6. The evidence

    4 verified figures for this topic, sourced below.

  7. What to do next

    A short list of concrete next actions, including where to raise this with your MPP.

Course Selection and Pathways

Ontario course pathways depend on grade, subject, and the student's cohort. Ask guidance to show how each course affects college, university, apprenticeship, workplace, or community goals before you choose.

For students who may not pursue the standard OSSD, Ontario offers the Ontario Secondary School Certificate (OSSC) requiring 14 credits and the Certificate of Accomplishment for students who complete individual learning goals. These alternative credentials are legitimate pathways and should not be viewed as lesser — they represent the diversity of student needs and aspirations.

IEP and Accommodation Management

Your teen's IEP should evolve each year to reflect changing needs. In high school, accommodations may include: extended time on tests and assignments, use of technology (laptops, speech-to-text software), modified group work expectations, alternative formats for demonstrating knowledge, reduced course load spread over five years, and a home-base room for sensory regulation.

As teens develop self-awareness, involve them in IEP discussions. Understanding their own accommodation needs and being able to articulate them is a critical life skill — especially for those heading to post-secondary education, where they will manage accommodations independently. Start building this self-advocacy in Grade 9.

Transition Planning for Life After High School

Ontario requires schools to include a transition plan in the IEP for students 14 and older. This plan should address post-secondary education, employment, and community living goals. For autistic students, transition planning should begin in Grade 9 and become increasingly specific each year.

Key transition actions include: visiting post-secondary campuses and employment sites, participating in co-operative education or volunteer placements, developing life skills (banking, cooking, transit use, self-care), connecting with adult service providers before aging out of child services, and applying to Developmental Services Ontario (DSO) by age 16. See our transition-to-adult-services guide for detailed steps.

Evidence and sources

  1. Ontario Ministry of Education

    Ontario Schools, Kindergarten to Grade 12: Policy and Program Requirements (ontario.ca/education)

  2. Ontario Ministry of Education

    Policy/Program Memorandum 156: Transition Planning for Students with IEPs

If the first request doesn't resolve it

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.

  1. School Principal

    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.

  2. Superintendent of Special Education

    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.

  3. Director of Education / School Board

    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)).

  4. Ombudsman Ontario

    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.

  5. Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (information only)

    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.

  6. See the full escalation ladder with citations and deadlines

Frequently asked questions

Yes. Ontario students with disabilities can remain in high school until the end of the school year in which they turn 21. This extended time can be used to complete credits, develop life skills, participate in cooperative education, and prepare for the transition to adult services. Schools must continue providing IEP accommodations throughout.

This depends on your teen's cohort, goals, strengths, and supports. Ask guidance to map each course to the next step it keeps open or closes. Include your teen in the decision.

In high school, students see multiple teachers who may not all be aware of the IEP. At the start of each semester, confirm that all teachers have received the accommodation list. Establish a primary contact at the school (usually the special education resource teacher) who monitors implementation. Teach your teen to self-monitor and report when accommodations are not being provided.

Take Action to End the Wait

Complaint Process InfoEmail your MPP

About this page

Check the author’s context, review method, and how to report an error.

Written by

Founder & Autism Advocate

Lived experience: Parent of autistic child navigating OAP system