Guide · Ontario Ontario (Canada)
The Ontario IPRC: identification, placement, review and appeal
An IPRC (Identification, Placement and Review Committee) decides two things about a student in Ontario: whether they are an exceptional pupil, and where they will be placed. Those two decisions, and only those two, can be appealed. Knowing what the committee does, and what it does not do, makes the meeting far less intimidating.
Key points
- An IPRC decides whether a student is an "exceptional pupil" and what their placement will be.
- Parents may be present at and take part in all of the committee’s discussions, and be there when the decision is made.
- You may bring a representative to speak on your behalf or otherwise support you.
- You can request that an IPRC meet if you believe your child needs special education and the board does not agree.
- An appeal must be filed within 30 days of receiving the statement of decision.
What the committee decides, and what it doesn’t
The IPRC works within Ontario Regulation 181/98. It rules on identification and on placement. It does not write the Individual Education Plan: that comes afterwards, and the plan must be in place within 30 days of an identification.
This split matters in practice. Disagreements about identification or placement go through the appeal route below. Disagreements about what is actually in the plan are taken up with the school, not the committee.
Your rights at the meeting
Parents should be told, before the meeting, that they have the right to be present at and participate in all committee discussions about their child, to be present when the committee makes its decision on identification and placement, and to have a representative present to speak on their behalf or otherwise support them.
Those rights are not favours granted by a particular school. They are part of how the process is meant to run.
If you disagree with the decision
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File a notice of appeal with the secretary of the board within 30 days of receiving the statement of decision. It must say which decision you disagree with and set out the nature of the disagreement.
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Within 15 days of the board receiving the notice, the board selects one member of the Special Education Appeal Board and you select another.
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The placement under appeal is not implemented while the appeal is pending, though you and the board can agree on a temporary placement in the meantime.
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If you still disagree after the appeal board, you may appeal to the Ontario Special Education Tribunal, within 30 days of receiving its decision.
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The tribunal route is only open once the IPRC and appeal board stages have been completed.
Go further with AtyKids
Official sources
- Government of Ontario · Part D: The Identification, Placement and Review Committee (IPRC)
- Government of Ontario · The IPRC appeal process
- Government of Ontario · Ontario Regulation 181/98: Identification and Placement of Exceptional Pupils
Information reviewed on August 20, 2026.
Practical AtyKids guidance, distinct from official information. When in doubt, refer to the official source and to the professionals following your child.
AtyKids supports the adult, without ever making a diagnosis or replacing professionals.