​​​​​​​​Special Education Programs and Services

Children develop and learn at different rates. Some have difficulty learning to read and write and need the assistance of a special education program. Others learn more easily and require program extensions or more challenging curriculum. The Peel District School Board offers a range of special education programs and services designed to meet a wide range of needs.

Identifying special education needs

As a parent, you know your child best. For example, you know if your child began to read at an early age or had difficulty learning to talk. Your experiences and observations provide valuable insight for school staff.

Your school has a group of professionals dedicated to creating the best possible learning environment for your child. Your child's teacher is constantly assessing the needs of each student. Special education teachers in each school help classroom teachers meet the diverse learning needs of their students.

Every school has an in-school review committee (ISRC) that meets regularly to assess and monitor students' learning needs. The ISRC can work with your child's teacher to develop a specialized program for your child. If the ISRC feels your child needs more support, it will recommend that the principal refer your child to an identification, placement and review committee (IPRC). You can also ask your principal to refer your child to an IPRC.

The Ministry of Education requires every student who has been identified by an IPRC as exceptional have an individual education plan (IEP). A student who requires special education programs or services to be successful in school, but who has not been identified as exceptional, may also be eligible for an IEP.​

Special Education Resources

Here is a list of links to organizations that update research and parent tips on special education:

• Association for Bright Children, Peel chapter
• Autism Society Ontario
• Autism Speaks
• Canadian Hearing Society
• Canadian Mental Health Association of Peel
• Children and Adults with ADHD
• Child Development Resource Connection Peel
• Community Living Ontario
• Easter Seals Society
• FAS World
• Fragile X Research Foundation Canada
• Inclusion Press
• Learning Disabilities Association of Peel Region​
• OA for Students at Risk (OASAR)
• All Kinds of Minds
• Shared Solutions-A Guide to Preventing and Resolving Conflicts Regarding Programs and Services for Special Education Needs (Ministry of Education document)
• SNOW (Special Needs Opportunity Windows)
• Tourette Syndrome Association of Ontario
• VOICE for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children 
• VIEWS for the Visually Impaired

More information about special education services and programs

Talk to your child’s teacher, principal, the superintendent of schools, or the board’s Special Education Support Services at 905-890-1010 (or 1-800-668-1146) ext. 2357 or ext. 2320.