• • Your child must be between 4 and 14 (after 14, you can continue in the program for an annual fee offered at a 40% discount until your child turns 18, at which point other options are available)
  • Your child must attend a school participating in the program

Visit this webpage and find the school board your child’s school belongs to. Check to see if your child’s school is on the list. If so, you should be able to get a No Child Without brochure from their school and fill out the directions on the back of it.

There are a several measures that can be taken if your child’s school is not participating. You may need to check if the school is on a waiting list, or if they are aware of the program at all. For further info, you can visit the No Child Without website.

What is MedicAlert?

MedicAlert is identification that goes with your child (often in the form of a bracelet or necklace) that ensures important information can be accurately and clearly communicated anytime and anywhere. It is engraved with your child’s most urgent medical needs, their special MedicAlert ID number, and a 24-hour emergency hotline that first responders can call in case of an emergency. Your child’s membership card will list their medications as well as emergency contacts and physicians. You can also update your child’s medical information anytime through their secure online service.

Most importantly, all personal emergency contacts will be notified at the time of an emergency and follow-up with parents will be made after the emergency call is made to the 24-hour hotline.

MedicAlert keeps your child’s medical record confidential and stored in a secure, centralized database; privacy and confidentiality of all members’ information is ensured at all times.

Epilepsy Ontario runs its own camp for children between 6 and 15 who have epilepsy. At Camp Couchiching in Longford Mills, 90 minutes outside of Toronto, campers can experience many fun and exciting outdoor activities such as rock climbing and canoeing. There are also nurses on site at all times to ensure that your child is safe and cared for while they have fun.

For more information, including how to sign up, please see our Summerfest page.

• • You need financial aid due to costs directly related to your child’s illness or disability
  • Your child has been diagnosed by a Canadian medical practitioner with a serious illness or permanent disability
  • Your child is 21 years old or younger
  • You and your child are Canadian Citizens or Landed Immigrants as well as permanent residents of Ontario
  • Your family’s combined gross household income must be $60,000 or less, with the exception being if you have more than one child with special needs
  • Your family must have also used up all other financial resources available to you, including personal resources, government funding, service agencies, and/or non-profit organizations

• • You and your child live in Ontario
  • Your child needs more support than most families can provide
  • Your child lives at home with your family OR if they are not living at home with their family, they are not being helped by other residential services

• • • Download and complete the application form provides on the website
    • Attach a medical statement/psychological assessment describing your child’s disability; explain why you need the services and how much it will cost
    • Mail in the completed form and assessment to your nearest Regional Office

The amount of funding your family can receive depends on the type and amount of service your child needs, what other help is available, and what kind of support your family is already receiving.

• • Your child is under 18 years of age
  • Your child lives at home
  • Your child has a severe disability

• • Contact your local regional office and ask for an application form
  • Complete and return the form
  • A Special Agreements Officer will review and contact you if needed
  • You will receive a letter informing you whether or not you qualify and, if so, how much you will receive

Parents can get between $25 and $440 a month to help with costs such as travel to doctors and hospitals, special shoes and clothes, parental relief, wheelchair repairs, assistive devices, prescription drugs, dental care, and many others. The amount you can receive will depend on:

• • Your family’s income
  • The severity of your child’s disability
  • The kind of difficulties your child has when walking, communicating, feeding himself, and/or  bathing himself
  • The extraordinary costs related to disability

• • Your child is under 19
  • Your child is a legal resident of Ontario
  • Your child has a long-term physical disability that restricts independent mobility and has an impact on their activities of daily living
  • Your child must use a mobility device such as a walker or wheelchair in order to be mobile

• You can visit the Ministry of Education’s resource guide
• You can see what example IEPs look like on this page
• The Learning Disabilities Association of Ontario has a guide to IEPs and IPRC meetings, which you can read by clicking here; they also offer a free online workshop about IEPs which you can read more about here
• The Ontario Teacher’s Federation has a website on special education which you can find here
• Community Living Ontario has written “A Student’s Guide to IEP”

• You can visit the Ministry of Education’s webpage
• The Ontario Teacher’s Federation has a webpage on the IPRC which you can read here
• Community Living Ontario has a page on the IPRC process you can find here
• People for Education has written information about what an IPRC meeting is, which you can read here
• The York Region School board has produced a parent guide that includes general information about the IPRC, which you can read about here. For information that is most relevant to your child, consult their teacher or try visiting the website of their respective school board.

• You can visit the Ministry of Education’s page here
• People for Education has a webpage about the SEAC here
• Check the website for the school board of your child’s school for more detailed information

• You’re a Canadian citizen or Permanent Resident
• You’re currently under an Ontario physician’s care for epilepsy
• You are between the ages of 16 and 29

• You apply and qualify for a Canada Student Loan
• You attend a designated post-secondary institution either full-time or part-time
• You meet the criteria for students with permanent disabilities (you must include one of the following as proof of your disability: a medical certificate, a psycho-educational assessment, or documents that prove you’ve received federal or provincial permanent disability assistance)

• He/she must be 18 years or older
• He/she must need support to participate in the community while they are in school, OR
• He/she must have left school and are living with family or independently in a supportive living arrangement (e.g., a group home)

The caregiver of a person with a disability may also be eligible for funding for the purposes of paying others to temporarily support their loved one.

Passport funding can be used for education (e.g., recreational programs, classes at a community centre, but NOT tuition), job preparation activities, volunteer activities, and several others. For a more detailed list you can refer to the Passport tip sheet.

When you apply, keep in mind that there is an extensive wait list to go through. If you need money immediately you might want to try going to Ontario Works. During this time you’ll also need to inform DSO of any changes to names, address, phone number(s), supports, needs, and living arrangements.

Once funding is available, the family or individual can:

• Receive and manage funds directly
• Receive funds directly and use up to 10% of their total approved allocation
• Access funded services through an existing developmental services agency

This site contains a resource guide for students with disabilities in their transition to post-secondary education. It also has information about many colleges and universities around Ontario, including information about support services, financial aid, and disability services available.

The Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario (POGO) produced a document about transitioning from high school to post-secondary education or employment. The information is might also be applicable to people with epilepsy. You can read it here.

The Ontario Ministry of Education has a section on their website about preparing for post-secondary education and training, which you can find by clicking here.

Youth2Youth, a small website created by young people with learning disabilities, has a FAQ answering some questions about post-secondary education.

The Learning Disabilities Association of Ontario has published a guide to planning a transition into post-secondary education, including samples of organized plans that you may also be interested in using. You can read it here.

Easter Seals Ontario has produced a tip sheet about transitioning to post-secondary education.

Alternative Education Resources for Ontario (AERO) is a provincial program that helps bring textbooks and other required materials to post-secondary students in an alternative and accessible format that they might require. You can find more about this program by clicking here.

The Ontario Human Rights Commission has information about accommodations and accessibility in education from a human rights standpoint. You can read their report containing recommendations for institutions to achieve barrier-free education for students with disabilities here. The OHRC also has a fact sheet on the main barriers of education that students with disabilities face, which you can find here.

The National Education Association of Disabled Students (NEADS) has a document about improving accessibility in post-secondary institutions; while it is not written for students, there may be information you can apply to your own situation. You can click here to read more.

The Learning Disabilities Association of Ontario has a page that lists disability services across colleges and universities in Ontario, as well as other information about topics such as scholarships and bursaries. You can find this list on this page.