Minister of Education letter on ADHD

Ministry of Education / Ministère de l'Éducation

Minister / Ministre

Mowat Block / édifice Mowat
Queens Park
Toronto ON M7A 1L2
Telephone/ Téléphone (416) 325-2500
Facsimile/ Télécopieur (416) 325-2608

March 21, 2007

Dr., Henry J. Svec
Institute of Psychological Services
801 Talbot Street
London ON N6A 2V7

Dear Dr. Svec,

Premier McGuinty has forwarded to me your letter about students diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). I appreciate the opportunity to respond.

I note you have raised several issues in your letter. Let me first address your concern that ADHD is not recognized by the Ministry of Education. Categories of exceptionality have been developed to assist in the Identification, Placement and Review Committee process for exceptional students. Exceptionalities are not designed with medical or psychological categories in mind; rather, they are intended to describe broad education barriers that might be experienced by students, as well as the areas of strengths and needs to be taken into account in developing programs and services. Students with ADHD can be identified by school boards under the category of Learning Disability or Behaviour, depending on the presenting characteristics of the individual student.

You have also indicated that elementary and secondary schools are not providing support to students with a diagnosis of ADHD. School boards have obligations under the Ontario Human Rights Code to accommodate students with ADHD since the Ontario Human Rights Commission regards ADHD as a disability; therefore, such students have protections under the Code. In elementary and secondary schools, the duty to accommodate is met by the provision of special education programs and services.

I am always saddened to hear that students are not getting the special education programs and services they require, in this case accommodations provided during the testing of students with ADHD. The Ministry of Education's policy direction, as well as the guidelines of the Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) are quite clear. Students with special education needs who have assessment accommodations recorded in their Individual Education Plans are eligible for the same accommodations during examinations and provincial testing.

I would also like to share with you some of the recent initiatives our government has taken to increase the capacity of the classroom teacher to work with a wide range of learners. The Council of Ontario Directors of Education was given $25 million in each of the 2005/06 and 2006/07 school years to work in partnership with the Ministry and Ontario's school boards to implement the teaching approaches set out in the expert panel report Education for All. These approaches include:

• universal instructional design
• differentiated instruction
• use of technology
• professional learning communities

The report is available on our website at www.edu.gov.on.ca.

We have also provided $20 million to the Ontario Psychological Association to:

• reduce current wait times for students who require assessments
• enhance the capacity of teachers to provide effective programs for students with special education needs based on professional assessment information

Be assured that I share with you a determination to secure all students get the help and encouragement they need to succeed. I encourage you to visit the Ministry's website as well as EQAO's website at www.eqao.com to learn more about assessment accommodations for students with special education needs.

Thank you again for taking the time to inquire about the level of support our government is offering to students with special education needs.

Sincerely,


Kathleen Wynne
Minister of Education

C: The Honourable Dalton McGuinty
Premier