AIS Frequently Asked Questions
What documents will I need to get started?
Proof of age (document displays individual’s name and date of birth); documents confirming age can include but are not limited to:
- birth certificate
- passport
- Ontario health card
Proof of Ontario residency (document displays the individual’s name and current home address); documents confirming Ontario residency include but are not limited to:
- Ontario photo card
- Rental or lease agreement
- Statement of direct deposit for Ontario Disability Support Program
- Employer record (pay stub or letter from employer on company letterhead)
- Mailed bank account statements (does not include automated teller receipts or bank books)
- Utility bill
- Income tax assessment
Hearing report or AIS eligibility forms completed by an Audiologist that is registered in Ontario.
* Completion of the AIS eligibility form for hearing is required when the presence of an auditory dysfunction is strongly indicated and/or when the applicant is difficult to test and where hearing cannot be assessed without estimation.
Vision report or AIS eligibility forms completed by an Optometrist and/or Ophthalmologist that is registered in Ontario.
* Completion of the AIS eligibility form for vision is required to be completed by an Optometrist or an Ophthalmologist when the applicant is difficult to test and/or where visual acuity and visual field restrictions cannot be assessed without estimation. The AIS eligibility form for vision is required to be completed by an Ophthalmologist when there are reduced visual abilities due to neurological issues including cortical/cerebral visual impairments, delayed visual maturation, or hemianopsia.
Hearing and Vision reports that are from assessments done after the age of 16 years old can be used to determine eligibility if there are no significant changes.
The AIS Coordinator may ask for additional documentation, as required, to determine eligibility.
My son/daughter is still in school, when should I apply?
You can start the application process when they are 17.5 years old (or any time after that). If they are staying in school, they will not be able to receive Adult Intervenor Services until they finish school, but they can have eligibility determined and have an assessment completed (if applicable).
What happens after I upload my eligibility documents?
Once your documents have been uploaded, they will be reviewed by the AIS Coordinator. You may be asked to provide additional information if it is needed to determine your eligibility for Adult Intervenor Services.
Once your documents have been reviewed, you will receive a notification to log in to the AIS, where it will be indicated whether or not you meet the criteria set forth by the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services to receive ministry funded Intervenor Services. If you are eligible, you will then move to the next milestone in the AIS.
Who can I contact if I have questions?
You can click on the “Help – Message AIS Coordinator” button located at the top right corner of each screen on your AIS application, this will send an email to the AIS Coordinator. You can also reach the Coordinator by phone or text at 519-757-5701.
What if I need an interpreter or intervenor for my assessment?
Please notify the AIS Coordinator and they will arrange the interpreters or intervenors. The Coordinator will need to know your preferred method of communication and will require at least 14 business days (or more) to make arrangements.
What happens after I have my assessment (if applicable)?
You will receive a notification to log in the AIS to complete a post assessment questionnaire.
The results from your assessment are entered in to a secure third party software program, the program generates a score. This score is used by the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services (MCCSS) to determine the number of intervenor hours that you can receive weekly. You will get a notification to log back in to the AIS once MCCSS has entered this information. You will then move to the next milestone in the AIS.
How will I know when I should log back into the AIS?
You will receive a notification to log in when there have been changes or messages sent to your AIS account. The notification will either be sent by email or text, depending on what method you have selected in your profile. If you have a Representative of Choice for your account, the notification will go to them if that is what has been selected in your profile.
What happens if I am not happy with my assessment?
You can appeal your assessment based on conditions of your assessment, for example, if the environment was very noisy during your assessment, you could choose to appeal the assessment. This option will be provided for you once you complete the Post Assessment Questionnaire in the AIS.
Some other examples (not an exhaustive list) of why you might choose to appeal could be: an interpreter was needed for your assessment but they had to leave part way through, communication was not provided in your preferred method even though you had indicated what was needed for the assessment, there were people walking in and out of the room constantly where the assessment was taking place, etc. You can’t appeal the assessment based on the number of hours that you will receive.
If you decide to appeal your assessment, the results from the first assessment will be discarded and a new assessment will be scheduled for you. MCCSS will use the results from the second assessment to determine how many intervenor hours you will receive.
What can intervenor services be used for?
Some things that intervenor services can be used for include:
- To facilitate meaningful communication between you and the people around you to build and maintain personal relationships; to access and engage public and private services and supports; and to respond during emergencies that affect you.
- To provide auditory and visual information to support concept development and access to information so that you can learn and pursue your goals and make informed decisions.
- To enable participation in community-based activities of your choosing.
- To develop knowledge and skills to utilize community infrastructure and resources.
- To support you to achieve success in a variety of activities of daily living, including meal preparation, managing finances and medications, telephone use, shopping, transportation, personal care and other life activities.
- To engage you in service planning and case management.
- To provide the use of sighted-guide techniques to ensure safe navigation of physical environments indoors and outdoors.
- To purchase pre-approved assistive devices which are not covered by other government-funded programs that specifically assist you with communication (e.g. personalized calendar systems, etc.).
You can talk to your service provider about how you would like to use your intervenor services.
What if I need more hours?
If there has been a change in your circumstances and you need more intervenor hours, you can let your service provider know. They will be able to request a service review/enhancement (if applicable) on your behalf (you do not need to create a profile in the AIS). You would then have a needs-based assessment completed which would determine whether you are eligible to receive additional intervenor hours (and if so, the number of hours that you can receive).