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
Direct answer
Occupational therapy, speech therapy, and physiotherapy, delivered inside Ontario schools, funded by MCCSS, not by the school board.
2026–2027 Services delivered: school-based rehabilitation services · Verified 2026-08-10
SBRS at a Glance
- SBRS = School-Based Rehabilitation Services (OT, speech, physiotherapy)
- Funded by MCCSS through children's treatment centres, NOT the school board
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- No IPRC identification required, a referral from school, parent, or doctor is enough
- Delivered inside the school during the school day at no cost to families
- Supplements but does not replace private therapy or OAP services
- Contact your local children's treatment centre or ask the school's SERT
How to Access SBRS
Ask at School
Talk to your child's teacher, SERT (Special Education Resource Teacher), or principal about SBRS. Ask specifically: "Does this school receive SBRS services from a children's treatment centre?"
Contact the Treatment Centre Directly
If the school is unresponsive, contact your local children's treatment centre: ErinoakKids (Peel/Halton), KidsAbility (Waterloo), CHEO (Ottawa), GrandviewKids (Durham), Holland Bloorview (Toronto), etc.
Assessment and Service Planning
The treatment centre will assess your child and determine eligibility. Services are based on functional needs, not diagnosis labels. No IPRC identification is required.
Connect to the IEP
Once SBRS services begin, ensure the therapy goals are reflected in the IEP. The SBRS therapist should collaborate with the school team to align school-based and therapy goals.
What SBRS Provides
- Occupational Therapy
- Fine motor skills (writing, cutting, buttons)
- Sensory processing support
- Self-care skills (toileting, dressing)
- Classroom environment adaptations
- Sensory diet programming
- Speech-Language Pathology
- Expressive and receptive language
- Social communication skills
- AAC (augmentative and alternative communication)
- Articulation and fluency
- Pragmatic language support
- Physiotherapy
- Gross motor skills (running, climbing, balance)
- Mobility and positioning
- Equipment assessment
- Playground and gym participation
- Physical activity adaptations
Why This Matters: The Funding Distinction
- MCCSS Funds It, Not the School Board
This is the most important fact about SBRS that parents need to understand. When a school tells you "we don't provide therapy" or "we don't have OT/SLP," they may be technically correct about their own staff, but SBRS therapists come from children's treatment centres funded by the Ministry, not the school board.
The school doesn't need to "have the budget" for therapy. They just need to facilitate the referral. If they won't, you can contact the treatment centre directly.
- SBRS vs. School Health Support Services
- Do not confuse SBRS with School Health Support Services (SHSS), which is administered by Ontario Health atHome and covers medical procedures (tube feeding, suctioning, catheterization). SBRS covers rehabilitation therapy. Both are available in schools, both are free, and both are funded outside the school board.
Frequently Asked Questions
SBRS (School-Based Rehabilitation Services) provides occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, and physiotherapy directly inside Ontario schools. It is funded by the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services (MCCSS) through children's treatment centres, NOT by the school board.
MCCSS funds SBRS through children's treatment centres (like ErinoakKids, KidsAbility, CHEO, etc.). This is separate from the school board's budget. The school board does not pay for SBRS services, which is why many parents are told the school "doesn't offer therapy."
No. SBRS does not require formal IPRC identification. A referral from the school or parent is sufficient. The children's treatment centre will assess your child and determine service eligibility based on functional needs.
SBRS provides three types of therapy in the school setting: Occupational Therapy (OT), fine motor skills, sensory processing, self-care, classroom function; Speech-Language Pathology (SLP), communication, language, social communication, AAC; Physiotherapy (PT), gross motor skills, mobility, positioning.
SBRS is free, delivered inside the school during the school day, and focuses on school-related functional goals. Private therapy is parent-paid, usually outside school, and may address broader developmental goals. SBRS supplements but does not replace private therapy.
Ask the school's special education teacher or principal about SBRS. You can also contact your local children's treatment centre directly. A referral can come from the school, parent, or healthcare provider. The treatment centre will assess eligibility.
Put your request in writing
A dated written request is what you can point to later. The School Support Navigator builds one for your situation.
- 2026–2027 Services delivered: school-based rehabilitation services. Government of Ontario / Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services
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91,974
children are registered in the Ontario Autism Program
1 in 50
According to the 2019 Canadian Health Survey on Children and Youth, about 1 in 50 children and youth aged 1 to 17 in Canada had an autism diagnosis
22.5%
Only 20,711 children have active funding agreements (22.5%), less than one in four
Last system verification: 2026-08-10. Next scheduled update: 2026-11-05.
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