The Ottawa Catholic School Board’s approach to special education is based upon the principle of meeting students’ needs within the most enabling environment, ensuring students grow and develop as unique individuals. We believe that individual gifts and strengths must be identified and used as the starting point for developing programs which will nurture growth and learning. Our goal is to enable learners to reach their fullest potential, thus enabling them to take their place as independently as possible within society. All of our schools have facilities, resources, support personnel and equipment necessary for developing and implementing special education programs and services.

Our Board actively promotes inclusion programming, where students with special needs fully participate in the life of the school community. Wherever possible, students are educated in regular classrooms with age-appropriate peers. However, for those children whose complexity of needs exceeds these resources, a specialized placement may be necessary. Therefore, a full range of placements and services are made available to students. 

Special Education Report

The Special Education Report covers all programs and services offered by the Ottawa Catholic School Board. The contents of the Special Education Report complies with the appropriate Ministry of Education’s standards, Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the Ontario Human Rights Code, the Education Act, and all other relevant regulations.  The Special Education Report been divided into three accessible sections, as follows:

Section A. Special Education Programs and Services

• Chapter 1: Model for Special Education 
• Chapter 2: Identification, Placement, and Review Committee (IPRC) Process
• Chapter 3: Special Education Placements Provided by the Board
• Chapter 4: Individual Education Plans (IEP) 
• Chapter 5: Special Education Staff
• Chapter 6: Specialized Equipment
• Chapter 7: Transportation for Students with Special Education Needs
• Chapter 8: Transition Planning 

Section B. Provincial Information

• Chapter 9:   Roles and Responsibilities
• Chapter 10: Categories and Definintions of Exceptionalities
• Chapter 11: Provincial and Demonstration Schools in Ontario

Section C. Information Required for the Community

• Chapter 12: Early Identification Procedures and Intervention Strategies
• Chapter 13: Educational and Other Assessments 
• Chapter 14: Coordination of Services and Other Ministries or Agencies
• Chapter 15: Specialized Health Support Services in School Settings
• Chapter 16: Staff Development
• Chapter 17: Accessibility (AODA)
• Chapter 18: Parent Guide to Special Education 
• Chapter 19: Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC)

  View the entire PDF version of the Special Education Report >>