Identification and educational placement of students with intellectual disability in Ontario, Canada

Little is known about the identification and educational placement of students considered to have intellectual disability in the Canadian context and, specifically, the province of Ontario. The purpose of this study was to describe trends in the school-based identification of students with mild intellectual disability and developmental disability based on the Ontario criteria over a 14-year period, as well as current patterns characterizing classroom placement. Using data provided by the Ontario Ministry of Education, a doubly multivariate analysis of variance and profile analysis were performed. Findings revealed a statistically significant decrease in the number of students identified with mild intellectual disability over time, and that students identified with developmental disability per the provincial criteria accessed their education in specialized settings at a significantly higher rate than their peers with mild intellectual disability. Reasons for differences in the identification and placement of the two groups of students are explored relative to the research context.