Get Your Child What They Need at an IPRC Meeting

We recently attended an IPRC meeting and took another step in readying T for middle school.

IPRC stands for Identification Placement Review Committee and it is made up of at least three school board staff, including a principal and psychologist.

The meeting has three functions:

• Identification: To decide if a student meets the Ministry of Education’s criteria for an exceptionality.
• Placement: To determine the most appropriate school setting to help the student succeed, prioritizing regular classrooms before segregated special education classes.
• Review: To review the student’s identification and placement at least once every school year to see if the supports are still appropriate.

Following an IPRC decision, the school is legally required to create an Individualized Education Plan.

Prep work is key to success

We’ve never attended an IPRC meeting and I’ve heard horror stories that describe it as a battle, with parents often walking away unhappy.

We were lucky that T’s special education support in his school keeps a watchful eye on him.

At a School Services Team meeting at the start of the school year in September, she recommended that T get a psychological assessment from the school board ahead of the IPRC.

Although T already has a FASD and ADHD diagnosis, received from an external organization, playing ball with the board goes a long way.

We’re thankful that T got his assessment in December – as waits could be lengthy – and the psychologist provided a recommendation for an exceptionality of a learning disability and for T to be placed in a regular school with supports.

The hubby and I were thrilled, because the new principal – whom we are not fond of and the feeling is mutual 😂 – keeps trying to get us to put T in an intensive support program.

The IPRC meeting was only 20 minutes, so the hubby and I wanted to be super prepared.

I also got IPRC advice from T’s tutor and his psychologist, as well my psychologist.

“You can do all the talking,” the hubby said. 😂

We went into IPRC Guns A-Blazing

Our meeting was held virtually and I had my notes ready on another screen.

In addition to committee members, we were joined by T’s principal and teachers. His special education support could not join us.

The committee asked us to start the meeting with our remarks and I covered a few points:

• T has many strengths, including being bright, funny, caring and good in sports.
• Because of FASD and ADHD, T struggles with executive functioning, regulation, focus, impulsivity and hyperactivity.
• He is able to achieve success because of supports the school has put into place since JK. He’s had a challenging year, because of changes to supports; I held back from saying it was due to the new principal.
• I summarized the recommendations from the board’s psych assessment.
• I read a testimonial provided by T’s special education support – and shared feedback from T’s tutor and psychologist.

The board psychologist then detailed the findings from the psych assessment. Then the committee shared their decision:

• Identification – Exceptionality of learning disability
• Placement – Regular classroom with withdrawal supports and in classroom support.
• Review – Once a year

T’s middle school will then create an IEP in alignment with the IPRC’s decision.

We were thrilled. This is what we wanted for T. I almost stuck my tongue out at the principal.

The day after IPRC, we visited T’s middle school and met with his new vice principal.

She also introduced us to the special education resource, who would be a support for T.

Coincidentally, T’s class visited the school at the same time as us, as part of the transition process.

T side eyed us, as he walked by us. Some of his classmates recognized us.

We held back from overdoing the hello. We didn’t want to cramp his style. He was getting to be that age after all.

This school year has not been a favourite one for our family. I still feel uncertain about middle school – but, as always, we’re taking it one day at a time.

With a successful IPRC, that is one positive hopeful step forward for T.