The Integrated Education and Therapy Program (IET) is an interdisciplinary early intervention program for children with a range of physical and/or communication disabilities.

Physical, occupational and speech therapies are integrated into the child’s day as part of the educational programming.

The therapy is provided by professional therapists working in a team setting with special education teachers and educational assistants.
The teachers, therapists and support staff collaborate to establish individual learning and therapy goals and share the responsibility of programming for the goals of each student. 

The classrooms are set up in a Universal Design for Learning model creating an inclusive environment. Appropriately designed space, furniture and equipment, augmentative and alternative communication systems, adapted technology and computer systems allow the child to gain the greatest benefit from the teaching and learning process. 

This early learning environment maximizes a child’s potential in communication, intellectual, physical, and social skills development.  Each child is encouraged to develop a sense of independence and personal responsibility. 

An Individual Education Plan is developed by the interdisciplinary team in consultation with the family to outline the strengths and needs of the students and to describe specific modifications, accommodations and strategies necessary to build success.
A school team supported by a Community Resource Teacher (CRT) collaborates with the community school Boards to ensure a successful transition when the student leaves Bloorview.

Integrated Education and Therapy Program Eligibility

All students admitted to Bloorview School are registered clients of Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital or, for York Region students, a client of Children's Treatment Network (CTN) and have a primary diagnosis of a physical disability and other associated complex needs.

Priority is given to applicants who have the potential to access the Ontario curriculum and who require a multidisciplinary approach for education and therapy.

The potential student:

• Demonstrates complex needs in two or more of the following areas:

  • Physiotherapy

  • Occupational therapy

  • Speech Language Pathology

• Is of legal school age (at least four years of age by December 31, 2017), has the ability to tolerate a full day in a classroom setting and can attend to a range of activities for a short period of time.

• Is actively participating in and has demonstrated growth in two or more of the following therapies: speech and language therapy, occupational or physical therapy and has shown the ability to integrate skills taught into daily activities

• Demonstrates the ability to consistently indicate, through a communication strategy ( e.g. body movement; verbal words; eye gaze; speech generating devices; picture communication) the following:

  • consistent yes and no responses

  • consistent communication of choices 

Application does not guarantee acceptance into Bloorview School. Application for a potential  student is a multi-step process.

The initial step in a multi-step application process is the receipt of IET Applicant Information From Referring Source form for your child from a referring practitioner. This must be received by January 12, 2017.

Following the receipt of this form, the next step is to gather more information from you about your child.  You will be sent the IET Candidate Information Form for you to complete which must be received before the deadline of January 24th, 2017. (see form below) 

The admissions process for the 2017-2018 school year is closed.  Information regarding the admission process for the 2018-2019 school year will be posted in the fall.

Following the receipt of these forms, a screening process will take place with the Bloorview School Authority multidisciplinary admissions team.  A potential client student may then be invited for an observation. Those candidates who are deemed eligible after the screening process will receive a letter regarding a visit to Bloorview School Authority and team observation which will be scheduled between February 28th and March 3rd, 2017.

All parents  will be informed of Bloorview School placement decisions by April.

• IET Candidate Information Form

•  IET Candidate letter

Notice about the Integrated Kindergarten Program (IKP) for the 2017-2018 school year

The Bloorview School Authority and Dr. Eric Jackman Institute of Child Study at the University of Toronto are unable to offer the Integrated Kindergarten Program (IKP) for the 2017-2018 school year because of a lack of enrolment among typically developing children. To date, no typically developing students have enrolled in the program. The school and institute will continue to explore ways to encourage and sustain enrolment so that the program may be offered in future years.

The IKP program partners typically developing junior and senior kindergarten students enrolled in the institute with a class of junior and senior kindergarten students from Bloorview School’s Integrated Education and Therapy (IET) Program. No junior kindergarten IKP program was offered for the 2016-2017 school year also because of a lack of enrolment among typically developing children.

Enrolment for the IKP program has declined over the last number of years. Despite the school and institute’s increased efforts since last summer to grow awareness and interest about the program in the community through word of mouth and local advertising, the program has not attracted the enrolment it requires among typically developing students to create an integrated classroom environment.

All other school programs will continue to operate as usual, including the Integrated Education and Therapy (IET) program for children in junior and senior kindergarten and Grade 1, and the individualized educational programs for students 4 to 21 years old who are inpatients or day patients of Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, with which the school shares a site.

We understand this news will be disappointing for many families and children as IKP provides an innovative and unique experience for many students. The school remains committed to promoting equity, diversity, confidence, leadership and self-advocacy among all of our students through our programs.

For more information, please contact Linda Ward, Principal, at 416-424-3860.