Here you will find a selection of the most frequently asked questions (FAQ) submitted by parents of children with LDs.

I have heard something about an IPRC at my child's school. What exactly is it?

An IPRC is a school board meeting where decisions are made about special education for a student. A parent can make a request for an IPRC, or the principal can initiate the process. Either way, the parent, and the student if16 or older, would be invited to the meeting. Each school board has their own parent guide describing the process and options in their board - ask your principal for a copy. At the IPRC meeting, decisions are made about identifying the student under a category (e.g. learning disability) and about appropriate placement. You will find more details about the process in the special education section of our website.

Can I get an Individual Education Plan for my child without an IPRC?

School boards can create an IEP for a student without an IPRC, but there is nothing requiring them to do this. When a student is identified through the IPRC process, an IEP must be prepared within 30 school days, and the parent (or student 16 or older) must be consulted and sent a copy of the plan.

I am worried about having my child labelled in the school system. Won't that mean that she'll be in special education forever?

When a student is identified as needing special education through an IPRC, there is automatically a yearly review meeting to look at progress and see if changes need to be made to the identification and placement. You as a parent are an important part of that process, and any decisions would include you. Most students with learning disabilities need to keep their identification throughout school, if only to make sure they have accommodations (like extra time or use of a computer) in high school. Some students with LD spend a few years in a self-contained special education class, but with increasing integration, and most LD students are in regular classes with withdrawal help or in-class support.

My son has had an assessment at school and is in special education, but I read something about dyslexia and I think he might be dyslexic.

Dyslexia is a term used by some professionals to describe learning disabilities in the written language area (reading/writing/spelling). Most school boards don't use the term, but if your son has been diagnosed as having a learning disability through a psychoeducational assessment, and the report talks about difficulties in the written language area, then basically they are talking about a the same thing in different words. Even when a student is called dyslexic, the most important thing is that his assessment outlines his specific strengths and weaknesses and makes recommendations for specific ways of teaching him that take these into account. For more information, there is an article on our website called "What is Dyslexia?"

My school board says they can't do an assessment on my daughter for a couple of years. Do I have any other options?

Occasionally assessments by psychologists or psychological associates are available in a hospital setting (and are covered under OHIP), or through a children's mental health centre if there are emotional/behavioural concerns. However there are long waiting lists in these settings as well, and usually there has to be another referring condition. If you have a group medical plan through an employer, you can check to see if assessment by a psychologist is covered and to what maximum fee. You would need a referral from a medical doctor to get coverage under the group plan, but you can refer your child directly to most psychologists/psychological associates. If you have a local chapter, I would talk to someone there about help in accessing psychological services through your school board, or about other options in your community.

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