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)
Public information
Education Series · Process guide
The IPRC Process: Identification, Placement, Review
Quick Summary
- IPRC (Identification, Placement, and Review Committee) is the formal meeting that decides WHERE your child will learn.
- After a written request, the principal has 15 days to confirm the referral, provide the parent guide, and state the approximate time when the IPRC is expected to meet.
- There are 5 placement options, from regular class with support to a fully self-contained special education class.
- Appeal within 30 days of the original decision, or within 15 days of receiving a follow-up decision.
Trigger
Nothing starts until you ask in writing.
Under Ontario Regulation 181/98, a principal must refer a student to an IPRC if a parent requests it in writing. A verbal request does not start the statutory response clock. Send an email or letter and keep a dated copy.
Within 15 days, the principal must send written notice of the referral, the board parent guide, and the approximate time when the IPRC is expected to meet. The law does not require the meeting itself to occur within those 15 days.
Written request template
Dear [Principal Name],
I am writing to formally request an IPRC meeting for my child, [Child's Name], pursuant to Ontario Regulation 181/98.
Please confirm the referral in writing and, within 15 days, provide the approximate time when the IPRC is expected to meet and a copy of the board's parent guide to special education.
Please also give me formal notice at least 10 days before the meeting. I plan to attend and ask to receive the information the chair will consider as early as possible.
Sincerely, [Your Name]
Timeline and participants
Four stages, with different statutory deadlines.
Written request
Day 0Parent → Principal
You send the written request above. Keep the dated request because it starts the principal's 15-day response deadline.
Written referral response
Within 15 daysPrincipal → Parent
The principal sends written notice that the student was referred, the approximate time when the IPRC is expected to meet, and the board parent guide. This is not a 15-day deadline for holding the meeting.
Meeting and decision
At least 10 days written noticeIPRC committee + Parent
You receive formal notice at least 10 days before the meeting. The committee reviews the relevant educational, health, and psychological information and sends a written Statement of Decision. It identifies:
- Category of exceptionality (for example, "Communication: Autism")
- Placement — one of the five options below
- Any recommendations for programs and services
You will be asked to sign. You can agree, indicate you disagree and wish to appeal, or take the document home to review before signing.
Follow-up or appeal window
30 days; or 15 after follow-upParent → SEAB → Tribunal
Request a follow-up IPRC meeting within 15 days, or file an appeal within 30 days of receiving the original decision. If a follow-up meeting occurs, file any appeal within 15 days of receiving the follow-up decision.
Official sources: Ontario Regulation 181/98 and the Ontario IPRC appeal guide. This page is educational information, not legal advice.
Decision output
The five placements the committee can choose.
The IPRC decides where your child learns. It cannot decide specific teaching strategies — that is the IEP.
- 1
Regular class, indirect support
Student works toward their own goals; a special education teacher consults with the regular teacher.
- 2
Regular class, resource assistance
Student goes to a resource room for short periods (for example, 20 minutes a day) for specific help.
- 3
Regular class, withdrawal assistance
Student receives instruction outside the classroom for less than 50% of the school day.
- 4
Special education class (partial)
Student is in a specialized class for at least 50% of the day and integrated for the remainder.
- 5
Special education class (full time)
Student is in a specialized class for the entire school day.
Before the meeting
What to bring.
Preparation is the single biggest factor in a successful IPRC outcome. Bring documentation, not just a description of the problem.
- 1.Diagnosis documentation — The formal psychological or medical assessment confirming autism or another exceptionality.
- 2.Clinical and therapy reports — OT, speech, ABA, or other therapy assessments that describe functional needs in the classroom.
- 3.Written examples of challenges — Specific incidents where your child struggled, needed support, was excluded, or required a safety intervention.
- 4.Your preferred placement — Know which of the five options you want and be ready to explain why it fits.
- 5.A support person — You can bring anyone to the meeting (family member, advocate, therapist). Tell the principal in advance as a courtesy.
Governing categories
Exceptionality categories the Ministry recognizes.
Autism falls under "Communication."
Communication
Autism, Deaf/Hard of Hearing, Language Impairment, Speech Impairment, Learning Disability
Behavioural
Social or emotional needs that significantly affect educational performance
Intellectual
Giftedness, Mild Intellectual Disability, Developmental Disability
Physical
Physical Disability, Blind/Low Vision
Multiple
Two or more exceptionalities (for example, autism plus an intellectual disability)
When a school says you don't need an IPRC
Some schools say "We can give your child an IEP without an IPRC." That is technically true — but there are concrete reasons to insist on identification:
- Formal appeal process:without IPRC, there is no formal mechanism to appeal the school's placement decisions.
- Legal documentation:IPRC identification creates a record that the board has recognized your child's exceptionality.
- Funding implications: identification can support Special Incidence Portion (SIP) claims for additional funding.
- Accountability: a formal identification holds the board accountable for providing appropriate programs and services.
Written outcome
The Statement of Decision
The committee must review your child's identification and placement at least once every school year unless you waive the annual review in writing. After a placement has been in effect for three months, you may request a review; a parent cannot require another review more often than once every three months.
Escalation ladder
If you disagree: three levels
File an appeal within 30 days of receiving the original Statement of Decision, or within 15 days of receiving the follow-up decision if you first requested another IPRC meeting.
- 1.Optional follow-up meeting — Within 15 days of receiving the original Statement of Decision, you may ask the IPRC to meet again and discuss the decision.
- 2.File a written IPRC appeal — File with the secretary of the school board within 30 days of the original decision, or within 15 days of receiving the decision from a follow-up meeting. The appeal concerns identification and/or placement.
- 3.Special Education Tribunal; separate human-rights route — After the Special Education Appeal Board and the school board decision, identification or placement may be appealed to the Special Education Tribunal. An HRTO application is a separate process for an alleged Human Rights Code violation, not another IPRC appeal level.
Continue the education journey
Verified References & Sources
Updated:Government Reports & Data
- [2023]Exclusion of Students With Disabilities — 2023 SurveyVerified FAO DataCommunity Living Ontario • Report • 2023-10-01
- [2024]Inclusion Without Proper Support Is AbandonmentVerified FAO DataElementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario • Report • 2024-06-01
- [2020]Autism ServicesVerified FAO DataFinancial Accountability Office of Ontario (FAO) • Report • 2020-07-21
- [2024]Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services: Spending Plan ReviewVerified FAO DataFinancial Accountability Office of Ontario (FAO) • Report • 2024-06-05
- [2026]MCCSS bi-weekly OAP Core Clinical Services progress reports (FOI release CSS2026-0749)Verified FAO DataMinistry of Children, Community and Social Services (Ontario) • Report • 2026-03-04
About This Article
Written by Spencer Carroll
Founder & Autism Advocate
Evidence 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.
Facts5
Sources4
89,799
children are registered in the Ontario Autism Program
1 in 50
According to the 2019 Canadian Health Survey on Children and Youth, about children and youth aged 1 to 17 in Canada had an autism diagnosis
23%
Only 20,633 children have active funding agreements — less than one in four
WHO recommends accessible, community-based early interventions for children with autism — timely evidence-based psychosocial interventions improve communication and social engagement
Last system verification: 2026-06-13. Next scheduled update: 2026-09-10.