Who Does What on a School Support Team?

A school support meeting can include several people with overlapping job titles. Knowing who is present is helpful, but the more useful question is: who will do what after the meeting? A clear team map connects a student’s priorities to practical actions, decisions and follow-up.

Roles differ between provinces, boards and individual schools. Some professionals visit several schools, some provide consultation rather than regular direct sessions, and some work for outside agencies. This guide uses clearly labelled Toronto District School Board examples to illustrate those differences. It does not promise a particular service, staffing level or referral outcome.

Begin with the student and the task

Before listing professionals, identify the situation the team is trying to improve. “Lunch is difficult” may involve access to the room, noise, communication, food routines, social pressure or insufficient time. Different concerns may need different people, and the student may explain something adults have missed.

Invite the student to describe what happens and what they would like to change using a comfortable communication method. A family member can add observations, but their account should not automatically replace the student’s. Ask what information the student wants shared and how they would like decisions explained afterwards.

Then ask each participant: “What part of this question can you help with?” This is often more useful than collecting job descriptions. A professional may explain that they can advise on access but cannot decide staffing or transport. Knowing that boundary helps the group direct the next question correctly.

Map functions rather than assuming titles

The possible participants above are a discussion aid, not a statement that every school uses the same structure. Ask about the actual person, their availability and their authority. If an educational assistant is involved, clarify the support task and how it connects with the teacher’s plan rather than assuming the assistant independently controls curriculum or assessment decisions.

Responsibility should also survive an absence. Ask who provides the essential information to replacement staff and how the student can get help if the usual contact is unavailable. Avoid making the student responsible for repeatedly teaching every adult the entire support plan.

Understand which team or meeting is involved

The TDSB referral overview distinguishes an in-school team from a school support team that may include special education or professional support staff. It also describes a formal identification and placement committee as a separate step. These are local terms; a similarly named meeting elsewhere may have a different purpose.

Ask whether the meeting is for sharing observations, developing classroom strategies, considering a referral or making a formal decision. Request the agenda and an explanation of any forms before the meeting. If a decision has its own notice, consent, review or appeal process, ask for the relevant current information rather than treating an informal discussion as a substitute.

A team can identify a useful next step without requiring every possible professional to attend. Conversely, if the people present cannot answer the central question, record who needs to be consulted and when the group will hear back.

Clarify what specialist involvement means

For example, TDSB occupational therapy and physiotherapy services describe support for school participation, including accessibility, mobility, daily activities and equipment. A practical question is whether the concern requires advice about the environment, an individual assessment or coordination with an existing professional.

The board’s speech-language service description distinguishes board and outside-agency roles and notes a focus on younger students with limited availability for older grades. This illustrates why a referral should not be interpreted as a promise of weekly therapy. Ask what service is being considered and what the next contact will involve.

Explain the everyday task in concrete terms: following multi-step instructions, accessing a communication system during group work or positioning materials at a desk. Do not ask a staff member to act outside their professional role. Where a clinical or equipment-safety question arises, ask which qualified professional should assess it.

Turn advice into an action record

“Use visual supports” is too broad to coordinate by itself. The team could specify which instructions need a visual version, who will prepare it, where it will be available and how the student will be introduced to it. Also ask how the approach will be reviewed if it creates extra work or does not address the barrier.

For every agreed action, record a short description, the responsible person or role, the expected date and the evidence the team will review. If a date cannot yet be set, record the next update instead. A named coordinator can track progress, but that does not mean they personally deliver every service.

A practical example

In this fictional example, Sam can explain science ideas using a tablet but cannot use it comfortably at the shared laboratory bench. The teacher clarifies the learning task. The school asks the appropriate professional about access and positioning. An administrator checks which arrangements can be organized, and a named staff contact follows up.

The meeting does not conclude with “technology will solve it.” It records a trial arrangement, who will prepare the space, how Sam can communicate if it is uncomfortable and when the team will check the result. Sam is asked whether the arrangement helps participation with classmates, not merely whether the device is present.

If the professional consultation is delayed, the team separately considers what reasonable practical arrangements can be explored meanwhile. Nobody invents a clinical recommendation or treats the delay as proof that the student has no support needs.

Keep communication clear and proportionate

Agree which channel to use for routine updates and which contact handles an urgent issue. Ask how staff share the necessary plan across classes without circulating irrelevant personal information. A broad email list can make it unclear who is expected to reply.

If you receive conflicting instructions, describe the conflict without assigning blame: “The classroom note says one thing and the meeting record says another; which plan should we follow?” Ask the coordinator to confirm the current arrangement. When a concern remains unresolved, request the school’s current concern process and keep the question specific.

Common questions