Choosing a School That Fits: Placement Questions Parents Ask
How private schools in Ontario differ from public boards for special education, what to ask before you enrol, and how to build a shortlist that fits your child.
6 min readStart here
Straight answers about how special education works in Ontario, and how we help. If your question is not here, send it to us and we will answer it.
Contact Us- Start by writing down what you are actually seeing, at home and at school, over two or three weeks. Specific and dated beats general. Then ask the school for a meeting to compare notes with the teacher. Most families arrive at us somewhere in that stretch, unsure whether what they are seeing warrants a formal process or not. You do not need a diagnosis, a report, or the right vocabulary to start asking questions.
- We help families understand assessments, IEPs and school options, and turn them into clear next steps. Think of it as having a guide through a confusing process. The work is practical: reading the documents properly, working out which questions matter, and preparing you for the conversations with the school.
- Many families use the word advocate, and the day-to-day work overlaps. Talia is an Ontario Certified Teacher with a Special Education Specialist qualification and over 15 years teaching special education, not a lawyer. That means the help is grounded in how schools, IEPs and classrooms actually work rather than in litigation. If a situation genuinely needs legal advice, you should speak to a lawyer.
- No. We also work with families who are just starting to wonder whether their child needs extra support, and with families whose child is not thriving where they are.
- That is what hourly consulting is for. You can book time as needed for a referral, meeting prep, or advice on one specific challenge.
- The first step is an introductory call. We listen to your concerns, review any documents you would like to share, and set out a clear plan for next steps.
More answers, by topic.
School Meetings: How to Walk In Ready
Where to start when your child is struggling, how to request a school meeting in Ontario, who you can bring, and the three questions to ask about every need.
6 min readIPRC Questions Ontario Parents Actually Ask
An IPRC decides whether your child is identified as exceptional and where they are placed. How to request one, what happens in the room, and how to disagree.
6 min readIEP Basics: The Questions Ontario Parents Ask First
What an Individual Education Plan is in Ontario, whether it is legally binding, how to get one started, the 30 school day rule, and your right to be consulted.
5 min readAssessment Questions to Answer Before You Book Anything
Which assessment your child needs, what a psychoeducational assessment can and cannot diagnose, board waitlists versus private, and how long a report lasts.
6 min readAccommodations, Modifications and What the Difference Costs You
The difference between accommodations, modified and alternative expectations in an Ontario IEP, what the report card box means, and what credits it can affect.
6 min readGo deeper: the long answers, sourced to the regulation.
Gifted Identification in Ontario: Screening, Testing, Criteria and What a Gifted IEP Looks Like
Ontario has no provincial gifted test and no provincial cut-off. How screening, testing and criteria work board by board, and what a gifted IEP contains.
10 min readHow to Get an IEP in Ontario: A Parent's Step-by-Step Guide
How to get an IEP in Ontario: the two routes, the written request to send your principal, the 30 school day rule, and what to do if the school stalls.
11 min readIEP Meeting Questions for Ontario Parents: What to Ask, What to Bring, and Your Rights
IEP meeting questions for parents in Ontario: your consultation rights under Reg. 181/98, what to bring, what to ask, recording rules and a printable checklist.
12 min readMy Child's IEP Is Not Being Followed: What Ontario Parents Can Do, Step by Step
An IEP is required in Ontario but the regulation carries no penalty. What to document, who to escalate to, and the wording to use at each step of the ladder.
10 min readPsychoeducational Assessments in Toronto and Ontario: Cost, Funding, Wait Times, and What They Actually Tell You
What a psychoeducational assessment costs in Toronto, how to get one free through your school board, wait times, and what the report can and cannot diagnose.
11 min readSpecial Education Advocate, Consultant or Lawyer in Ontario: Who Does What, What It Costs, and When You Need Which
An Ontario advocate is not a lawyer and the title is unregulated. What advocates, consultants, lawyers and psychologists each do, what it costs, and free help.
11 min readThe IPRC in Ontario: What It Is, What Happens at the Meeting, and How It Differs From an IEP
An IPRC decides two things: whether your child is identified as exceptional, and the placement. What happens at the meeting, and how it differs from an IEP.
9 min readWhen to See a Special Education Consultant: 13 Signs It Is Time to Ask for Help
Thirteen signs it is time to call a special education consultant in Ontario, what each one usually needs, and how consulting differs from therapy or tutoring.
7 min read