Supporting Students with Giftedness,

Intellectual, or Behavioural Needs

Draft Revisions to Exceptionality
Definitions and Next Steps
November 13, 2015

Purpose
The purpose of todays presentation is to:
Seek input on the operational implications the ministry should
consider before approving three proposed revised exceptionality
definitions:

Giftedness
Intellectual Disability (formerly separate Mild Intellectual
Disability and Developmental Disability definitions)
Behaviour

To build an understanding of what will be needed for guidelines to

support more consistent and effective practices across Ontario in the
application of these revised definitions
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Vision for Education in Ontario

In 2014 the government released
Achieving Excellence: A Renewed Vision
for Education in Ontario
The Renewed Vision includes four goals:

1.
2.
3.
4.

Achieving Excellence
Ensuring Equity
Promoting Well-Being
Enhancing Public Confidence

Guiding Principles
The following Guiding Principles were provided to the three Definitions Working
Groups as part of the Terms of Reference for the current project:

Improve achievement and well-being of students with special education

needs.
Increase capacity of schools to effectively meet the needs of all learners.
Support the development and implementation of effective Individual
Education Plans (IEPs).
Enhance collaboration among ministries, schools, families and community
partners.
Improve balance between teaching and learning and required processes
and documentation.
Enable transitions for students into, through and exiting from the education
system.
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Context
The Ministry of Education (EDU) is committed to providing school boards
with direction and resources that will assist them in supporting students
with special education needs.

Since 2009, the Education Act has established student achievement and
well-being as two of the primary responsibilities of all partners in the
education sector, which includes students with special education needs.

The ministry has implemented many policies/initiatives that have resulted

in a paradigm and practice shift in supporting students with special
education needs (e.g., Learning for All K-12).

EDU is an integral partner in inter-ministerial initiatives such as Ontarios

Comprehensive Mental Health and Addictions Strategy and the Special
Needs Strategy.
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Exceptionality Definitions

Five categories of exceptionalities are set out in subsection 1(1) of the

Education Act

The definition of an exceptional pupil is further elaborated on by the Ministry

in Special Education: A Guide for Educators, 2001 (currently under revision)
The five categories (Behaviour, Communication, Intellectual, Physical,
and Multiple) are out of scope, requiring amendment of the Act

The ministrys definitions of exceptionality (twelve exceptionalities within the

five categories), that are used in the Identification Placement Review
Committee (IPRC) process, have not been updated since 1999.

Categories and Definitions of Exceptionality

Where the Identification Placement and Review Committee (IPRC) has identified a
student as exceptional, the decision will include the categories from the Act and the
definitions of exceptionalities established by the Ministry of Education.
5 Categories and 12 Definitions of Exceptionalities
BEHAVIOUR *
Behaviour
COMMUNICATION *
Autism
Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing***
Language Impairment
Speech Impairment
Learning Disability **

INTELLECTUAL *
Giftedness
Mild Intellectual Disability
Developmental Disability

MULTIPLE
EXCEPTIONALITIES *
Multiple Exceptionalities

PHYSICAL *
Physical Disability
Blind and Low Vision ***

* The current review of definitions does not include review of the 5 categories stipulated in the Act
** Definition updated and released as part of PPM 8 in 2014. DRAFT guidelines were developed but not released.
*** DRAFT Guidelines developed but not yet released

All Students Reported as Receiving

Special Education Programs and/or Services
2013-14

All other students

(1,681,074)
83.4%

ALL REPORTED
All students reported as
receiving special
education programs
and/or services*
(334,311)
16.6%

IPRCD
55% of all students
reported as receiving
special education
programs and/or services
identified by IPRC
(182,491)
(9.1% of Total
Enrolment)

NOT IPRCD
45% of all students
reported as receiving
special education
programs and/or services
NOT identified by IPRC
(151,820)
(7.5% of Total
Enrolment)

Note: Total Enrolment, 2013-14 = 2,015,385 students

* ALL REPORTED includes all students reported as receiving special education programs and/or services (IPRCd and not IPRCd), reported by boards/schools
to OnSIS. Data includes English/French, public /Roman Catholic, elementary and secondary schools. Data excludes private schools; publicly funded hospital
and provincial schools; care, treatment, custody and/or correctional facilities; summer, night and adult continuing education day schools.

Overview: Students Receiving Special Education

Programs & Services

In 2013-14 school boards reported that 16.6% of the total student population, or 334,311 students were
receiving special education programs and/or services.

*IPRC Identification, Placement and Review Committee (IPRC)

Approximately 83% of all students (86% secondary) receiving special education programs and/or services
are placed in regular classrooms for more than half of the instructional day.
At least 23,700 students reported to be receiving special education programs and/or services do not
have an Individual Education Plan (IEP). No student is to be denied any special education programs
pending an IPRC meeting or decision.

The above figures do not include students that attend Educational Programs for Pupils In Government
Approved Care and/or Treatment, Custody and Correctional Facilities. (Note: These students are not resident
pupils of a school board or school authority. In 2013-14, the Ministry funded a total of 572 education
programs (469 Regular School Year, 103 Summer Programs) where there are approximately 5860 full time
equivalent student spaces during the regular school year and 1260 spaces during the summer.)

Overview: Students Receiving Special Education

Programs & Services (Contd)
Board Variation in the Use of IPRC and its Impact on Exceptionality Data

The tables below show the 2013-14 range in students formally identified as exceptional by an
IPRC as a percentage of the total number of students reported as receiving special education
programs and services in Ontarios 72 publicly-funded district school boards.
This significant variation impacts the graph of specific exceptionalities (below), which only
reflects 55% of all reported to be receiving special education programs and services.
Minimum Identified %

1.5%

Range of Identified %
<30%

Maximum Identified %
Median Identified %
Provincial Avg Identified %

100.0%
53.1%
54.6%

# of DSBs
8

30% to <50%

20

50% to <70%

28

70% to <90%

12

90%

4
1
0

Revising Exceptionality Definitions

The revision of Intellectual [Giftedness, Developmental Disability (DD) /

Mild Intellectual Disability (MID)] and Behaviour definitions, and
development of guidelines is part of ongoing efforts to strengthen the
capacity of school boards and to promote the use of consistent practices in
delivery of special education programs and services across Ontario.

Over time, the Ministry may review all of the exceptionality definitions
and/or develop new guidelines, for example:
Communication, the definition of Learning Disability (LD) was recently
revised and released in 2014 as part of PPM 8. Draft LD guidelines
were developed but not released.

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Scope
In Scope

Out of Scope

Review and changes to definitions

in the Intellectual and Behaviour
categories of exceptionality for
identification through an IPRC
Sharing key messages with
stakeholder groups following
meetings, as necessary
Development of draft definitions

Revisions to other exceptionality

categories
Review of legislative or IPRC
processes
Review of placement options
Changes to ministry documents
and/or policies regarding special
education programs and services
Development of standards of
practice of required programming;
Before and after school child care
Special Education Grant funding
approach
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The Process to Date

In 2014, the ministry took a coordinated approach to review the intellectual and
behaviour exceptionalities definitions (Phase 1) and to develop guidelines
(Phase 2) to support more consistent and effective practices across Ontario.
Revised definitions will:
support the ministry renewed vision, particularly in timely and accurate
identification of students with these exceptionalities;
reflect current research and developments in special education policies and
school board practices in supporting students with these exceptionalities;
enhance educators understanding of the precise learner profiles of students
with intellectual or behaviour needs;
support more consistency among boards in supporting students with
intellectual and behaviour needs; and
support coordinated and seamless transitions into, through and between
school boards.
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The Process (Continued)

To inform the revision of Intellectual and Behaviour exceptionalities definitions,

the Ministry convened external working groups with a range of experience and
expertise, including researchers, practitioners, stakeholders and community
partners to provide advice, expertise and support.

Three exceptionality-specific groups were formed to focus on reviewing the

definitions: Giftedness, DD / MID and Behaviour. All three groups were guided
by external chairs, supported by Ministry staff.

The groups met during 2014. The three Definitions Working Groups came
together as a larger group to focus on common issues, challenges and
opportunities across the three exceptionalities.

The Ministry also established internal Exceptionality Teams to support the work
of the three Exceptionality Working Groups by conducting jurisdictional scans
and analysis of current research and practices provincially, nationally and
internationally.
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Next Steps: Revised Definitions

The ministry is considering the working groups proposed revised
definitions for Intellectual and Behaviour exceptionalities and is seeking
sector expertise to comment on:
the proposed revised definitions, and,
operational issues and considerations for developing guidelines to
support school boards use of the definitions.
Sector input on the proposed definitions has occurred with:
Ministers Advisory Council on Special Education;
Ministers Principals Reference Group;
School board Special Education Superintendents;
Ontario Psychological Association; and
Social Workers
Intra and inter-ministerial consultations are being conducted to ensure
alignment with other relevant ministrys policies and initiatives.
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Next Steps: Intellectual and Behaviour

Guidelines (Phase 2)
Once revised definitions are approved, guideline working groups (Phase 2)
will be convened to provide advice on the development of guidelines to
support more consistent and effective practices across Ontario.

New Guidelines will promote effective and promising practices related to the
provision of programs and services to support both:

students identified through IPRC

students with similar or related needs who are not identified through
IPRC all of whom will be expected to have an IEP after a reasonable
period of assessment

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Discussion Questions
1. Would you recommend any changes to the draft definitions?
2. What should the ministry take into account in terms of operational
considerations?

3. What needs to be addressed in guidelines to support use of the revised

definitions?

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