IEP and IPRC Request Letter Template for Ontario Parents

What this letter actually starts

A written request to the principal starts the IPRC process: the committee that decides whether a student is identified as exceptional and what placement is appropriate. It is not the same as asking for an IEP, and you do not always need one to get the other.

Ontario states that an IEP may be developed for a student who has not been identified by an IPRC as exceptional but whom the board considers to require a special education program or services. If your goal is classroom accommodations rather than formal identification, say so in the letter so the school responds to the right request.

• An IPRC decides identification and placement, and reviews both at least once each school year.
• An IEP is the written plan describing programs, accommodations, services and how progress will be reviewed.
• A principal can also refer your child to an IPRC, in which case they must give you written notice.

What to include in the request

Keep the letter short and factual. Its job is to create a dated record of a specific request, not to argue the case; the evidence and discussion belong at the meeting.

• Your child’s full name, date of birth, grade and teacher.
• A clear sentence requesting an IPRC meeting, or requesting a discussion about an IEP if that is what you want.
• The barriers you are seeing, described by what happens during the school day rather than by the support you want named.
• Any assessments or reports you are attaching, listed by title and date.
• Your preferred contact method, and the date you sent the letter.

A template you can adapt

Replace everything in square brackets. Send it by a method that produces a record, such as email to the principal with a copy to yourself, and keep what you sent.

“Dear [principal’s name], I am the parent of [child’s full name], date of birth [date], currently in [grade] with [teacher’s name]. I am writing to request an IPRC meeting for my child under Regulation 181/98.”

“The difficulties I am seeing at school are [describe two or three specific, observable barriers, for example communication during group work, sensory load in the cafeteria, or transitions between classes]. I am attaching [list any reports by title and date].”

“Please acknowledge this request and let me know approximately when the committee will meet, along with a copy of the board’s parents’ guide to special education. I can be reached at [email and phone]. Sincerely, [your name], [date].”

What must happen after you send it

Ontario publishes specific obligations that follow a written request, which is the main reason to put the request in writing rather than raising it in conversation.

• Once the principal receives your written request, they must request an IPRC meeting for your child.
• Within 15 days of receiving your request, the principal must acknowledge it in writing, tell you approximately when the IPRC will meet, and give you the board’s parents’ guide to special education.
• At least 10 days before the meeting, the IPRC chair sends a letter with the date, time and place, and asks whether you will attend.
• Before the meeting you receive a copy of the information about your child that the chair received, which may include assessment results or a summary.

If you want an IEP without going to an IPRC

Formal identification is not a prerequisite for every accommodation. Ontario advises that if you think your child requires an IEP and they have not been formally identified as exceptional, you should talk to your child’s teacher or the school’s special education teacher about the process for creating one.

Putting that conversation in writing afterwards is still worthwhile. A short email summarizing what was discussed, what was agreed and who is responsible gives you the same dated record without starting the IPRC process.

Common questions about the request letter

1. Do I have to request an IPRC in writing?: Ontario describes the parent route as submitting a written request to the school principal, and the 15-day obligations run from the principal receiving that written request. A written request is what creates the dated record.
2. What if the school does not respond?: Follow up in writing, referring to the date of your original request and to the principal’s obligation to acknowledge it. If that does not resolve matters, ask the school board about its special-education contacts and appeal routes.
3. Can my child send this themselves?: Students who are 16 or older have the right to be present at and participate in committee discussions about them, and to receive information in their own right, so the letter can come from the student at that age.