How to Get an IEP in Ontario: A Parent's Step-by-Step Guide

This page explains how a child gets an Individual Education Plan (IEP) in an Ontario publicly funded school, what to write to the principal this week, and what the school has to do next. It covers both routes to an IEP, the timelines in Ontario Regulation 181/98, and what to do if the school says no. Nothing here is legal or medical advice.

Key facts

• An IEP is a written plan describing the special education programs, accommodations and services a board will provide for a student (ontario.ca).
• An IEP must be developed for a student identified as an "exceptional pupil" by an Identification, Placement and Review Committee (IPRC), and may be developed with no IPRC for a student the board deems to need a special education program or services (ontario.ca).
• Board practice varies. Provincial policy allows an IEP without an IPRC, but some boards will not put an IEP in place until the student has been through an IPRC. Ask your school which applies before you choose a route.
• The principal shall refer a pupil to an IPRC at a parent's written request (O. Reg. 181/98, s. 14(1)(b)), and no board or principal can refuse (policy guide).
• Within 15 days of that request the principal must send an acknowledgement, the board's parents' guide, and roughly when the committee meets (s. 14(6)).
• The IEP must be completed and a copy sent to you within 30 school days after placement, a rule the ministry applies to unidentified students too (policy guide).
• It must set out specific educational expectations, the program and services, and how progress will be reviewed (s. 6(3)), plus a transition plan at 14 or older (s. 6(4)).
• Accommodations during Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) assessments require an IEP that identifies them (policy guide).
• You can appeal an IPRC decision within 30 days of the statement of decision, or 15 days of the notice from a follow-up meeting (s. 26(2)).

What is an IEP in Ontario, and what is it not?

An IEP is a written plan describing the special education program, accommodations and services a board will provide for one student, based on the strengths and needs that affect their ability to learn and to demonstrate learning. The ministry calls it a working document and an accountability tool.

The ministry is unusually clear about what an IEP is not:

• a description of everything that will be taught to the student;
• a list of all the teaching strategies used in regular classroom instruction;
• a record of all the student's learning expectations, including those not modified from the regular grade level curriculum;
• a daily lesson plan.

That matters when the IEP arrives and looks thin. A subject where your child needs neither accommodations nor modified or alternative expectations is left out entirely.

Is an IEP a legal document in Ontario?

An IEP is required by law, but it is not a contract and not enforced by a court. O. Reg. 181/98 sets out who must have one, what it must contain, who must be consulted, and when it must be finished. Section 8 requires the principal to file it in your child's Ontario Student Record unless you object in writing. So you can point to a missing element and ask for it, but changes come through consultation, IPRC review and appeal, not a courtroom. For advice on your rights, speak to a lawyer.

What are the two ways a child gets an IEP in Ontario?

Two, and every Ontario IEP must state which applies (policy guide).

1. Through an IPRC. The committee decides whether the student is exceptional, names the area of exceptionality, and decides a placement. An IEP then follows automatically.
2. Without an IPRC. An IEP may be developed for a student the board deems to require a special education program or services in order to attend school, achieve curriculum expectations, or demonstrate learning.

Two rules sit under route two: modified expectations require an IEP even without identification, and regular need for accommodations makes one advisable.

Route two is faster and is where most parents should start. Route one adds identification, a statement of decision, an annual review, and a right of appeal.

Board practice varies

The two routes are provincial policy. How they work day to day is decided board by board, and the flexible parts differ. Some boards will not put an IEP in place without an IPRC. Ask your principal directly which applies at your board, and ask for the answer in writing. If the answer is IPRC first, make the written IPRC request now rather than waiting to be offered one. The section below has the wording.

How do I get an IEP in Ontario, step by step?

Start with a written request to the principal. Writing is what starts the clock in the regulation.

1. Write down what you are seeing. Two or three weeks of specific, dated notes from home, plus what the teacher has told you.
2. Gather the paper you have. Report cards, any psychological, speech-language or occupational therapy report, medical letters, past IEPs.
3. Email the principal, copy the teacher. Ask for a meeting with the in-school team and say plainly you want an IEP considered.
4. Bring your list. Ask which subjects will be accommodated only, which modified, and whether an alternative program is needed.
5. Ask for the decision in writing, including when the IEP will be done and when you get it. If the school declines, ask why.
6. For formal identification, request the IPRC in writing. Section 14(6) then gives the principal 15 days to reply.
7. Read the IEP against the regulation, and use the consultation form to record anything you disagree with.

What to write to the principal

For an IEP without an IPRC:

Dear [Principal's name], I am writing to ask that the school consider developing an Individual Education Plan for [child's name], in [grade/class]. I am seeing [two or three specific, dated examples]. I have attached [report or assessment, if any]. I would like to meet with the in-school team to discuss whether [child] requires accommodations, modified expectations, or an alternative program in any subject. Please let me know a date within two weeks, and confirm in writing what the school decides.

For a formal IPRC referral the wording has to be unmistakable:

Dear [Principal's name], Under section 14(1)(b) of Ontario Regulation 181/98, I am making a written request that you refer [child's name], in [grade/class], to an Identification, Placement and Review Committee. Please provide the acknowledgement, the board's parents' guide, and a written statement of approximately when the committee will first meet, as required by section 14(6). I would also like a copy of any reports the committee will consider.

Send by email so you have a date stamp. Keep the reply.

What happens in the 30 school days after placement?

Within 30 school days after placement, the principal must ensure the IEP is completed and a copy sent to you, and to your child at 16 or older (s. 6(8)). The ministry defines placement as the first day of attendance in the new program named in the statement of decision, the first day of a school year or semester when a placement continues after the annual review, or the first day of enrolment on a mid-year change.

Inside that window the principal must consult you, and your child at 16 or older (s. 6(6)), and must consider any program recommendations the committee made. Both dates, placement and completion, go in the IEP. The 30-day rule applies to all students, identified or not.

What must an Ontario IEP contain?

Three things by regulation: specific educational expectations, an outline of the special education program and services, and the methods by which progress will be reviewed (s. 6(3)). At 14 or older, a plan for transition to post-secondary activities such as work, further education and community living (s. 6(4)), unless the pupil is identified solely as gifted (s. 6(5)). Policy/Program Memorandum 156 extends transition planning to every student with an IEP.

What a strong IEP looks like, and what a weak one looks like

A strong IEP is specific enough for a supply teacher to follow.

• Every subject is labelled AC (accommodated only), MOD (modified) or ALT (alternative), and only those subjects appear.
• Accommodations are only the ones that differ from what the whole class gets, sorted into instructional, environmental and assessment.
• Strengths and needs are in learning terms, such as visual memory or expressive language.
• Modified subjects show a current level of achievement, an annual program goal, and dated learning expectations updated every reporting period.
• The parent and student consultation log has dates, outcomes and a signature line.

A weak IEP fails in predictable ways. Needs get written as supports: the ministry is explicit that "the student needs an educational assistant" or "the student's math skills need to improve" do not belong in strengths and needs. Other tells: an accommodations list that is really good teaching everyone gets, an empty consultation log.

Does my child need an IEP? Signs to watch for

Your child likely needs an IEP if they cannot show what they know without a change to how they are taught, assessed or graded. Two triggers are close to automatic in ministry policy: modified expectations require an IEP, and regular need for accommodations makes one advisable.

In our experience the pattern parents describe looks like this. The gap between what your child says out loud and what they put on paper keeps widening. Homework takes two or three times as long as the teacher says it should. The same report card comment about focus or organization repeats term after term. Tests come back far lower than class work. None of that is a diagnosis. All of it is worth writing down with dates.

How do I get an IEP for ADHD in Ontario?

The same way as anyone else, because Ontario has no ADHD category and no diagnosis requirement. The Education Act identifies five categories of exceptionality: behavioural, communicational, intellectual, physical and multiple. The ministry states these categories "are meant to be inclusive of all medical conditions, whether diagnosed or not, that can lead to particular types of learning difficulties" (policy guide).

The question is not whether your child has ADHD. It is whether they need a special education program or services to attend school, achieve curriculum expectations or demonstrate learning. Many students with ADHD end up on route two with an accommodation-only IEP: extra time, a quiet space for tests, oral responses to test questions. A diagnosis still helps, because a psychological or medical report is one of the information sources the IEP draws on, and getting one means a referral to a psychologist or physician.

How do I get an IEP in high school in Ontario?

The route is identical, but the stakes shift from supports to credits, so raise credits at the first meeting. A secondary IEP records the diploma or certificate the student is working towards: the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD), the Ontario Secondary School Certificate, or the Certificate of Accomplishment. That field shapes everything else.

• Accommodated only costs no credits. The ministry states accommodations "in no way alter the curriculum expectations for the grade level or course".
• Modified expectations might. For each modified secondary course, the principal decides whether achievement of those expectations constitutes successful completion and whether a credit is granted, and must tell you the decision.
• Substitutions are a separate tool. A principal may substitute up to three compulsory credits with courses from other subjects, each noted on the Ontario Student Transcript (Ontario Schools, K-12).

At 16 or older, the regulation requires the principal to consult your child directly, not only you (s. 6(6)). Bring them.

What does an IEP mean for report cards, EQAO and the OSSD?

An IEP changes how achievement is reported, not whether it is. A student's provincial report card must link directly to the programs and expectations set out in their IEP (ontario.ca), and progress must be evaluated at least once in every reporting period in which a Provincial Report Card is issued. Subjects with modified expectations or accommodations still go on the regular report card. Alternative programs differ: marks are usually neither required nor advisable, and progress is reported by anecdotal comments on a separate report.

For EQAO the rule is blunt. To receive accommodations during an assessment, the student must have an IEP identifying them, and the accommodation must already be in the IEP as one required in the classroom. Exemption is possible in a few cases, but for secondary students there must be clear written indication the student is not working towards an OSSD.

Can you graduate with an IEP? Yes. The OSSD requires 30 credits, the provincial literacy requirement, 40 hours of community involvement and, for students entering Grade 9 in 2025-26 and later, the financial literacy graduation requirement. None is closed to a student with an IEP. Students whose IEP indicates they are not working toward an OSSD may, with parental consent and principal approval, be exempted from the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test. Read that in reverse: unless the IEP says otherwise, your child is working toward the diploma.

What to do if the school says no or stalls

Move from conversation to the written process. Only that has deadlines attached. Your written IPRC request cannot be refused. If nothing arrives within 15 days, email the principal citing s. 14(6) and copy the board's special education superintendent. Once a committee decides:

• 15 days from the statement of decision to request a follow-up meeting with the committee in writing (s. 19(1)).
• 30 days from the statement of decision to file a notice of appeal with the secretary of the board, or 15 days from the notice sent after a follow-up meeting (s. 26(2)).
• 15 days after the board receives your appeal for the board and you to each select one member of the special education appeal board (s. 27(1)(b), 27(2)). You pick one of the three.
• 30 days from the chair being selected for the appeal board meeting (s. 28(2)), then three days after it ends for its recommendation (s. 28(6)).
• Three months. Once a placement has been in effect three months you may ask in writing for a review of identification or placement, then once per three-month period (s. 21(1)(b), 21(2)).

One section helps while you wait. Under s. 9(1), no pupil is to be denied an education program pending a meeting or decision, and that program must suit the pupil's apparent strengths and needs.

Where a consultant fits

Most families reach us in the middle of this, holding a report card or psychoeducational report they cannot read, unsure whether to ask for an IEP or an IPRC first. Hourly Consulting helps you decide whether an assessment is the right next step, connects you with psychologists, speech-language pathologists or occupational therapists, and covers preparing for one specific meeting. We do not conduct assessments. In most boards a consultant can also attend meetings with you. Assessment Breakdown & Guidance takes a report you have and translates it into what it means in the classroom and what to ask the school for. IEP Review & Strategy reviews the assessments and the school's IEP together and drafts proposed goals and wording, so you know what each accommodation should look like in practice and where the plan is thin. Navigating Special Education is a three-session package for families earlier in this process, covering how to share information with the school, what an IPRC is, and determining the right placement. School Placement Support is there if the conversation turns to a different setting.

Frequently asked questions

Can I get an IEP without an IPRC in Ontario?

Yes. Ontario has two routes to an IEP. One is identification as an exceptional pupil by an Identification, Placement and Review Committee, which makes an IEP mandatory. The other is a school board decision that a student needs a special education program or services in order to attend school, achieve curriculum expectations or demonstrate learning. No committee meeting is needed for the second route, and many accommodation-only IEPs are written this way. Practice varies by board, though. Some boards will not put an IEP in place without an IPRC. Ask your school which applies, and if the answer is IPRC first, make the written request now.

Does my child need a diagnosis to get an IEP?

No. Ontario's five categories of exceptionality are written to be inclusive of all medical conditions, whether diagnosed or not, that can lead to particular types of learning difficulties. An IEP is built from a description of your child's strengths and needs, based on educational, health or psychological assessments and on observations of your child. A diagnosis can help explain the pattern, but it is not the entry ticket.

How long does it take to get an IEP in Ontario?

Once a student is placed in a special education program, the principal must ensure the IEP is completed and a copy sent to the parent within 30 school days of that placement. Before that, if you request an IPRC in writing, the principal has 15 days to send you an acknowledgement, the board's parents' guide, and a written statement of approximately when the committee will first meet.

Is an IEP a legal document in Ontario?

An IEP is a document required by law, not a contract. Ontario Regulation 181/98 sets out who must have one, what it must contain, who must be consulted, and when it must be finished. Section 8 requires the principal to file it in your child's Ontario Student Record unless you object in writing. Disagreements are handled through the board's process and the IPRC appeal route, not by a court. A lawyer can advise you on rights.

Can you graduate high school with an IEP?

Yes. An IEP does not by itself change what a student can earn. Accommodations in no way alter the curriculum expectations for the grade level or course, so a student on accommodations only earns the same credits as everyone else. Where expectations are modified, the principal decides whether achievement of those modified expectations counts as successful completion of the course and whether a credit is granted, and must tell you the decision.

Can the school refuse my written request for an IPRC?

No. Under section 14(1)(b) of Ontario Regulation 181/98, the principal shall refer the pupil to a committee at the written request of a parent. The ministry's guide states plainly that neither the board nor the principal can refuse the request. The school can tell you it thinks a committee is not needed. It cannot decline to make the referral once you have asked in writing.

Can my child get an IEP for ADHD?

Yes, in the sense that ADHD is not the deciding factor. Ontario does not have an ADHD category. The question the school answers is whether your child needs a special education program or services to attend school, achieve curriculum expectations or demonstrate learning. Many students with ADHD end up with an accommodation-only IEP. That IEP also matters for EQAO, because accommodations during provincial assessments must already be identified in the IEP.

What if I disagree with the IEP the school sends home?

Write back. The principal must consult you in developing the IEP, and a consultation form has to be attached to it recording each consultation, the outcome, and whether you were consulted or declined. Ask for the specific change in writing, name the subject or course it applies to, and ask that your comments be recorded on that form. If your child was identified by an IPRC, you can also request a review once the placement has been in effect for three months.

Sources

• O. Reg. 181/98: Identification and Placement of Exceptional Pupils
• Individual education plans, ontario.ca
• Identifying students with special education needs, ontario.ca
• Special education in Ontario, Kindergarten to Grade 12: Policy and resource guide - What is an IEP?
• Special education in Ontario, Kindergarten to Grade 12: Policy and resource guide - The IEP process
• Special education in Ontario, Kindergarten to Grade 12: Policy and resource guide - Components of the IEP standards and effective practices
• Special education in Ontario, Kindergarten to Grade 12: Policy and resource guide - Categories of exceptionalities
• Special education in Ontario, Kindergarten to Grade 12: Policy and resource guide - The identification process
• Policy/Program Memorandum 156: Supporting transitions for students with special education needs
• Ontario Schools, Kindergarten to Grade 12: Policy and Program Requirements - Diploma and certificate requirements and related procedures for secondary schools