Neuroaffirming IEPs in Ontario: What to Include, What to Avoid, and Examples of Wording That Supports Neurodivergent Students
A practical guide for Ontario parents, educators, and school teams
Individual Education Plans (IEPs) help identify the special education programs, services, and supports students need to access learning and participate meaningfully at school.
For autistic students, students with ADHD, and other neurodivergent learners, an IEP can be an important tool for supporting learning, well-being, and inclusion.
However, the wording of IEP goals matters. Expectations focused on eye contact, sitting still, or following directions without question may prioritize compliance over a student's actual needs.
A neuroaffirming approach focuses on building meaningful skills, respecting individual differences,
and providing the supports students need to succeed without requiring them to hide who they are.
What Is a Neuroaffirming IEP?
A neuroaffirming IEP recognizes that students communicate, learn, socialize, and regulate themselves in different ways. These differences do not automatically need to be corrected.
Instead, goals and supports should reflect the student's strengths, needs, interests, and preferences.
A neuroaffirming IEP aims to:
Build on the student's strengths and abilities.
Support meaningful academic and life skills.
Respect individual communication and sensory needs.
Encourage self-advocacy and autonomy.
Identify accommodations that make learning accessible.
Promote safety, belonging, and meaningful inclusion.
Neuroaffirming does not mean avoiding expectations or skill development. It means teaching meaningful skills while respecting the student's dignity and individuality.
Understanding IEPs in Ontario
In Ontario, an IEP outlines the special education programs, services, and supports a student requires. An IEP may be developed for a student formally identified as exceptional through an Identification, Placement, and Review Committee (IPRC), or for a student the school board determines requires special education programming or services.
An IEP may include:
Accommodations: Changes to how a student accesses learning or demonstrates knowledge without changing curriculum expectations.
Modified expectations: Changes to the grade-level curriculum expectations a student is working toward.
Alternative expectations: Learning expectations outside the regular Ontario curriculum, such as certain communication, self-advocacy, or daily living skills.
The appropriate supports depend on the student's individual needs. A diagnosis alone should not determine which goals are included. Ontario IEPs are developed in consultation with parents and, for students aged 16 and older, the student. They are reviewed regularly and include transition planning where required under Ontario's IEP policy.
Examples of Neuroaffirming IEP Goals
The following examples illustrate how expectations can be reframed to focus on meaningful skills and appropriate supports. They should be individualized to each student's needs and documented in the appropriate section of their IEP.
Quick Reference: Traditional vs. Neuroaffirming IEP Wording
Instead of… | Consider… |
“Student will maintain appropriate eye contact.” | Student will communicate engagement using their preferred communication style. |
“Student will remain seated and still during instruction.” | Student will access movement and flexible positioning to support learning and participation. |
“Student will complete all work independently.” | Student will use individualized supports and strategies to make progress toward learning expectations. |
“Student will follow directions without protest.” | Student will practise asking questions, requesting clarification, and communicating concerns. |
“Student will remain in class without leaving.” | Student will be supported in communicating when a break is needed and accessing agreed-upon regulation supports. |
“Student will demonstrate age-appropriate social skills.” | Student will develop communication, boundary-setting, and relationship skills that support meaningful interactions. |
“Student will tolerate classroom noise.” | Student will access appropriate sensory supports and environmental adjustments. |
“Student will use words to request items.” | Student will communicate needs, preferences, and ideas using their preferred communication method, including AAC where applicable. |
“Student will calm themselves independently.” | Student will develop and access individualized regulation strategies, including support from trusted adults when needed. |
“Student will reduce reliance on adult support.” | Student will develop autonomy while accessing the assistance necessary for learning, communication, and safety. |
These examples are suggestions, not prescribed Ontario Ministry of Education wording. Goals should reflect the student's individual strengths, needs, and learning expectations.
Social Communication
Rather than requiring eye contact or a particular conversational style, focus on communication, relationships, and understanding boundaries. Students may benefit from learning to navigate disagreements, communicate personal boundaries, and develop relationships through shared interests.
Emotional Regulation
Distress may be connected to sensory overload, anxiety, communication barriers, or overwhelming demands. Goals should address the student's needs rather than simply eliminating visible signs of distress. Students may benefit from practising how to request breaks, access regulation strategies, and seek support from trusted adults.
Attention and Executive Functioning
Students with ADHD and other executive functioning differences may benefit from visual supports, task chunking, movement, and help getting started. For example: “Given a visual checklist and task breakdown, the student will identify the first step of an assignment and begin with individualized support as needed.”
Communication and AAC
Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) supports students who communicate using tools such as communication boards or devices. A meaningful goal may focus on communicating needs, preferences, questions, and ideas using the student's preferred communication method. Communication systems should be accessible throughout the school day, with appropriate modelling and response time from staff.
Sensory Needs and Participation
Sensory differences can affect a student's comfort, regulation, and access to learning.
Depending on individual needs, supports may include noise-reducing headphones, movement opportunities, flexible seating, quiet spaces, or advance notice of changes. Harmless self-regulatory movements, often called stimming, should not automatically be discouraged simply because they look different.
Self-Advocacy and Independence
Self-advocacy helps students communicate their needs, preferences, concerns, and boundaries.
Possible goals include learning to:
Ask for help or clarification.
Identify and access available accommodations.
Communicate preferences and boundaries.
Recognize when support is needed.
Identify trusted adults and seek assistance.
Independence does not mean completing every task without assistance. Knowing how to access support is an important skill.
How Can IEP Goals Be Measurable and Neuroaffirming?
IEP goals should be clear enough for educators to monitor progress. However, measurable goals do not need to focus on compliance. Progress could be measured by whether a student uses a visual checklist to identify the next step of a task, communicates a need for assistance, accesses a helpful regulation strategy, or practises navigating a disagreement. Goals and progress monitoring should reflect the supports provided. A student should not be considered unsuccessful because they require appropriate accommodations or assistance.
How to Make Neuroaffirming IEP Goals Measurable
Ontario IEP goals need to be sufficiently specific that educators can monitor progress.
However, measurable does not have to mean compliance-based. For example, instead of measuring how often a student obeys instructions, schools can measure whether a student is developing and using meaningful communication, self-advocacy, or executive functioning strategies.
Here are some examples:
Skill area | Example of a measurable neuroaffirming goal |
Self-advocacy | Student will communicate a preference, request, or boundary in three school contexts using their preferred communication method. |
Emotional regulation | Student will identify or select two personally helpful regulation supports during supported activities. |
AAC | Student will use AAC for three communicative functions beyond requesting, with appropriate modelling and access. |
Executive functioning | Student will use a visual planning tool to identify the first two steps of an assigned task in four out of five supported opportunities. |
Social problem-solving | Student will identify two possible strategies for responding to a peer disagreement in structured scenarios. |
Communication | Student will use a preferred communication method to request clarification or assistance in three naturally occurring opportunities. |
Transitions | Student will practise accessing an individualized transition support during two daily transitions. |
Personal boundaries | Student will identify or communicate a boundary in three supported practice scenarios. |
Importantly, progress monitoring should document the supports provided, not simply whether a student performed a skill independently. For example, a student communicating successfully with AAC after consistent adult modelling is demonstrating meaningful progress. The need for modelling does not invalidate that progress. Schools should also distinguish between a student's developing skill and an adult's responsibility to provide access. A student should not be considered unsuccessful because a required accommodation was unavailable.
Questions to Ask at an IEP Meeting
Parents and caregivers can use these questions when reviewing their child's IEP with the school team:
Does this goal address a meaningful skill or primarily encourage compliance?
Does it respect my child's communication and sensory needs?
What supports will the school provide to help my child succeed?
Are we considering the reasons behind distress or difficulty participating?
How will my child's preferences and strengths inform the plan?
How will progress be measured, including when support is needed?
Collaboration between families, students, and school staff helps ensure that the IEP reflects the student's individual needs.
How WonderTree Can Help
At WonderTree Child, Adolescent, and Family Practice, we recognize that navigating the special education system can feel overwhelming for families. Our team supports children, adolescents, and families in understanding learning profiles, identifying support needs, and exploring strategies that promote participation and well-being.
Depending on individual needs, our services may include:
Psychoeducational and psychological assessments.
Autism and ADHD assessments.
School psychology consultations and IEP reviews.
Occupational therapy.
Executive functioning coaching.
Parent consultation and advocacy support.
We believe students should not have to hide who they are to access education. A strong IEP should identify not only the skills a student is developing, but also the supports and adjustments that help them learn and participate meaningfully.
WonderTree offers in-person services in Orangeville, Ontario, and virtual services across Ontario, where appropriate.
Check out our related blogs on:
#Neuroaffirming #Neurodiversity #IEP #IndividualEducationPlan #InclusiveEducation #SpecialEducation #AutismAcceptance #AutismSupport #ADHDSupport #NeurodivergentLearners #SchoolInclusion #StudentWellbeing #SelfAdvocacy #ExecutiveFunctioning #SensoryNeeds #EmotionalRegulation #AAC #ParentAdvocacy #OntarioEducation #OntarioParents #EducatorResources #WonderTree #WonderTreeChildAdolescentAndFamilyPractice
IMPORTANT: Information shared by WonderTree is not intended to replace or be constituted as clinical or medical care. It’s intended for educational purposes only. Each child is unique, and the information provided may not be applicable to your specific situation. If you need support, please establish care with a licensed provider so that they can provide tailored recommendations for you or your child. This blog is non-monetized.
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