SEAC

Special Education
Advisory Committee

What does SEAC do?

SEAC makes recommendations to the TDSB on any matter a ecting the establishment, development and delivery of special education programs and services. SEAC members:
advise the TDSB on how to improve programs and services for exceptional children; provide general information to parents regarding special education matters, such as the purpose of an Individual Education Plan (IEP) or an Identi cation Placement & Review Committee (IPRC); review the TDSB Special Education Report every year to assist in meeting the needs of exceptional students; participate in the TDSBs annual budget process paying particular attention to costs associated with special education; bring the perspectives of parents of children with special needs to the TDSB and may help parents to understand related government regulations, school board policies and procedures that a ect their child, such as Safe and Caring Schools. Associations represented on SEAC can also be contacted directly for additional support.

Special Education Advisory Committee

Every school board in Ontario has a Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC) whose purpose is to aid school boards in supporting children with special needs. The Toronto District School Board (TDSB) SEAC is made up of three school board trustees and 15 volunteers from the community and local agencies. The organizations with membership on SEAC are local associations working in the interests of children with special needs, covering a wide range of exceptionalities.

SEAC

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the IEP and why is it important? When a child has special needs, the teacher develops an IEP in consultation with the parent. Some students require accommodations to achieve the grade level learning expectations. Others experience signi cant di culty meeting the grade level expectations and require modi ed or alternative learning expectations. In both cases, the IEP describes the special education programs and services they will receive. The IEP records the speci c knowledge and skills to be taught, assessed and evaluated on the provincial report card. It also assigns responsibilities to those who will help a student meet identi ed goals and learning expectations. Parents play a key consultative role in the development of the IEP. Where can I go to nd resources to help me understand and support my childs education needs? Information is available from various sources including: teacher, principal, Special Education sta , SEAC member associations, TDSB website, and the Ministry of Education website. Can I attend a SEAC meeting? Anyone can attend SEAC meetings as an observer in the public gallery. If you wish to make a presentation at a SEAC meeting, you must apply to give a deputation. Details of the deputation process are found on the SEAC webpage of the TDSB website. SEAC meetings are held once every month during the school year, usually on a Monday night, starting at 7:00 p.m. in the TDSB Boardroom at 5050 Yonge Street.

SEAC Member Representatives

There are three community members, three Trustees and 12 associations represented on SEAC. The Association names are listed on the SEAC page of the TDSB website shown below.

Contacts
Visit the SEAC website at: http://www.tdsb.on.ca/parents then select: Special Education/ Who can help?/ SEAC There you will nd meeting agendas and minutes, as well as important links and contact information for speci c SEAC members. Send general e-mail queries to: seac@tdsb.on.ca or leave a voice message for the SEAC Liaison at: 416-393-8926. Interpreters to assist parents in attending the meeting are available by phoning two weeks in advance of the meeting.

Funded by Ministry of Education Parents Reaching Out Grant.

SEAC

SPECIAL EDUCATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE