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)
School Support
Plain-language school guidance, the record to keep, and the next step available to your family.
An IPRC (Identification, Placement and Review Committee) decides if your child is an "exceptional pupil" and what placement they get. Request comes first. 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 your request, give you the board's parents' guide, and tell you about when the committee will meet (s. 14(6)). Decision comes next. If you disagree, the appeal deadline depends on what happens after the decision. It can be 30 days from the statement of decision, or 15 days after a follow-up meeting notice. Confirm the deadline right away.
Put the request in writing
A written IPRC request triggers the principal's duty to refer. Use the generated letter — it cites the exact provisions.
Calendar the 15 days
Within 15 days you should receive written acknowledgement, the parents' guide, and an approximate meeting date. Log what arrives and when.
Prepare your input
Gather the diagnosis documentation and any assessments. The committee decides identification and placement — bring evidence of needs.
Ask what happens meanwhile
While IPRC is pending, ask what current program, interim services, and accommodations your child will receive.
Know the appeal clock
If there is no follow-up meeting, the appeal notice is due within 30 days of receiving the statement of decision. After a follow-up meeting notice, the deadline is 15 days.
I am requesting, in writing, that my child be referred to an IPRC. Please confirm receipt in writing, provide the board's guide for parents, and let me know approximately when the committee will first meet, as required within 15 days. What documentation should I provide to the committee? Please reply in writing.
IPRC has its own formal track: committee → Special Education Appeal Board → Ontario Special Education Tribunal. Confirm whether your appeal clock is 30 days or 15 days.
See the full escalation ladderSOURCE
e-Laws • 1998-04-01
SOURCE
Government of Ontario • 2024-01-01
SOURCE
Tribunals Ontario • 2026-07-04
Last updated: 2026-07-04
Evidence on this page
Key claims are paired with their source, evidence tier, and verification date so readers can inspect the public record directly.
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)
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
WHO recommends accessible, community-based early interventions for children with autism. Timely evidence-based psychosocial interventions improve communication and social engagement