Close
Skip to Content
HDSB Logo
Main menu icon
I'd Like to...
  • Access eLearning courses
  • Apply for a Job
  • Find Adult and Continuing Education
  • Find My Local School
  • Find Student Busing
  • Get Homework Help
  • Pay Online
  • Register My Child for School
  • Rent School Space
  • Report A Student Absence
  • Request a Transcript
  • Resolve an Issue/Concern
  • Transfer within the Halton District
  • Volunteer
Alerts
  • Parents
    • Absence Reporting - SchoolMessenger
    • Calendar
    • Get Involved
    • Health and Well-Being
    • New to Halton
    • Register My Child for School
    • Special Education Programs and Placements
    • Why Choose HDSB?
    • Before and After School Care
    • COVID-19
    • Halton Community Resources
    • Human Rights & Equity
    • Pay Online
    • Report Cards
    • Technology & You
    • Bus Cancellation and School Closure – Inclement Weather
    • Find My Local School
    • HDSB Mobile App
    • Kindergarten
    • Privacy and Information Management
    • Safe Schools
    • Transportation
  • Students
    • Adult, Alternative and Continuing Education
    • COVID-19
    • Expelled or Suspended Students (H.O.P.E.S.)
    • Halton Cloud
    • Homework Help, Guidelines and Tools
    • Online Resources
    • Student Excellence Awards
    • Virtual Learning
    • Calendar
    • COVID-19 Vaccine Information
    • First Nation, Métis and Inuit Students
    • Health and Well-Being
    • International Students
    • Safe Schools
    • Student Senate
    • Welcome Centre for Newcomer Students
    • Community Involvement Hours
    • Environmental Leadership
    • Graduation Requirements
    • High School Info Night
    • Library Services
    • Secondary School
    • Transcript Requests
  • Schools
    • Adult, Alternative and Continuing Education
    • Distribution of Materials to Schools
    • Information Technology in Schools
    • Program Accommodation Studies
    • Rent School Space
    • School Construction Projects
    • School Hours
    • September 2021
    • Transportation
    • COVID-19
    • Find My Local School
    • Our Schools
    • Register My Child for School
    • School Boundary Reviews
    • School Enrolments
    • Secondary School
    • Transfer Schools within the HDSB
    • Who to Contact
    Image School Listing
    School Listing
  • Learning and Resources
    • Adult, Alternative and Continuing Education
    • Curriculum
    • EQAO Results
    • Health and Physical Education
    • Kindergarten
    • Mathematics
    • Special Education Programs and Placements
    • Arts Programs
    • Elementary Education Programs
    • First Nation, Métis and Inuit Students
    • Innovation in Education at the HDSB
    • Library Services
    • Prior Learning Assessment
    • Summer School
    • Before and After School Care
    • English Language Learners-ELL
    • French
    • International and Indigenous Languages Elementary
    • Literacy and Language
    • Secondary Education and Pathways
    • Virtual Learning
  • Our Board
    • 2020-2024 Multi-Year Plan
    • Administration and Superintendents
    • Budget and Financial Information
    • Contact Us
    • Director's Cut - Videos
    • Halton Learning Foundation
    • HDSB Student & Staff Census
    • How to Resolve Issues and Concerns
    • Livestream
    • Policies and Administrative Procedures
    • Accessibility
    • Board of Trustees
    • Careers at the HDSB
    • Departments
    • Get Involved
    • Have Your Say Survey
    • HDSBcares
    • Human Rights & Equity
    • News
    • Publications
    Image Careers at the HDSB
    Careers at the HDSB

Criteria for Special Education Programs

subnav icon More
Home/Learning and Resources/Special Education Programs and Placements/Criteria for Special Education Programs/
Decrease Text Size Default Text Size Increase Text Size
Print Link
Share Link

More in this Section...

  • Special Education Programs and Placements
    • Assistive Technology Services
    • Child Youth Counsellors
    • Community Resources
    • Criteria for Special Education Programs
    • Elementary self-contained classes
    • Final Report - Review Special Education Programs Services - March 2018
    • Individual Education Plans
    • School Psychological Services
    • School Resource Team
    • School Social Workers
    • SEAC Agenda and Minutes
    • SEAC Members
    • Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC)
    • Special Education Plan
    • Speech-Language Pathologists
  • Adult, Alternative and Continuing Education
  • Arts Programs
  • Before and After School Care
  • Curriculum
  • Elementary Education Programs
  • English Language Learners-ELL
  • EQAO Results
  • First Nation, Métis and Inuit Students
  • French
  • Health and Physical Education
  • Innovation in Education at the HDSB
  • International and Indigenous Languages Elementary
  • Kindergarten
  • Library Services
  • Literacy and Language
  • Mathematics
  • Prior Learning Assessment
  • Secondary Education and Pathways
  • Summer School
  • Supporting Student Learning Outside of the Classroom
  • Virtual Learning

Quick Links

  • Adult and Continuing Education
  • Curriculum
  • Secondary Education and Pathways
  • Special Education Programs and Placements
  • Summer School

Page Image

Page Content

​​​Part I: Categories & Criteria of Exceptionalities

The Education Act identifies five categories of exceptionalities for exceptional students: behavioural, communicational, intellectual, physical, and multiple. These broad categories are designed to address the wide range of conditions that may affect a student's ability to learn, and are meant to be inclusive of all medical conditions, whether diagnosed or not, that can lead to particular types of learning difficulties. (Special E​ducation in Ontario, Categories of Exceptionalities).

Behaviour​

  • ​Behaviour

Communication

  • Autism
  • Deaf and Hard of Hearing
  • Language Impairment
  • Speech Impairment
  • Learning Disability

Intellectual

  • Giftedness
  • Mild Intellectual Disability
  • Developmental Disability

Physical

  • Physical Disability
  • Blind and Low Vision

Multiple

  • Multiple

Part II: Criteria for Special Education Programs and Placements ​

A special education program is defined as an educational program that is based on and modified by the results of a continuous assessment and evaluation of the pupil and that includes a plan (now referred to as an Individual Education Plan) containing specific objectives and an outline of the educational services that meets the needs of the exceptional pupil (subsection 1(1)) (The Education Act)

In keeping with legislative requirements (Reg. 181/98), the principles of inclusion as outlined in the Ontario Human Rights Commission’s Guidelines on Accessible Education, and the beliefs of the Halton District School Board, placement in a regular classroom setting is given first consideration when it meets the needs of the student and is consistent with parental preferences.

Contents - Programs & Placements

  • Halton District School Board Special Education Definition of Placements
  • Kindergarten Expressive Language and Literacy Program - KELLP (SK)
  • Expressive Language and Phonological Awareness Class - ELPhA (Grade 1)​
  • Communication Program (SK - Early Junior)
  • Structured Learning Class (SLC - pilot starting September 2021)
  • Behaviour Resource Class (BRC - Grade 1 - 8*)
  • Learning Disabilities Class (LD Class Grade 4-8)
  • Life Skills (Grade 4-8 Elementary)
  • Community Pathways Program (CPP - Secondary)
  • Gifted Self-Contained (Elementary)
  • Secondary Gifted Placement (Secondary)

Care, Treatment, Custody and Corrections Programs (CTCC)

  • Woodview Programs (CTCC):
    • Halton Intensive Program: Queen of Heaven Catholic School (Milton)
    • Woodview - Youth Overcoming Depression and Anxiety (YODA)
    • Nelson Youth Centres - Half Day Intensive Program
    • Syl Apps School - Secure Treatment

Partnerships with Halton Healthcare

  • Halton Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Inpatient Services (CAPIS)
  • Halton Recovery Through Education for Adolescents (REACH) Day Treatment

Trillium Demonstration School Programs

  • Trillium Demonstration School
  • Provincial Schools for the Blind and Deaf
​



 


 

​
Board Office

Halton District School Board
J.W. Singleton Education Centre
2050 Guelph Line
Burlington, Ontario, L7P 5A8

Numbers

Phone: 905-335-3663
Fax: 905-335-9802

Links
Email Us
A to Z ServicesAccessibilityContact UsTransportationFeedbackStaffCareers
​​​​​​​© 2022 Halton District School Board, 2050 Guelph Line, Burlington, ON, Canada L7P 5A8, Phone Switchboard: 905-335-3663

Auto Attendant: 905-335-3665, ​Toll Free: 1-877-618-3456, Fax: 905-335-9802