My listing of special-education acronyms includes lots of terms familiar to parents in the United States, but parents in other countries may find some of their favorite alphabet-soup terms missing. I asked Nicole Eredics, who writes at The Inclusive Class and has experience with special education in Canada, to provide us with some familiar acronyms from the Canadian educational system. I've also created a Reader's Respond page for you to add your own conglomerations of letters -- whether U.S.


ones I've missed, Canadian ones that are province-specific and left off here, or from a country not yet represented. Let the alphabet soup be served!

• AIP: Annual Instructional Plan. An AIP tracks the progress of additional language learners on a yearly basis.
• CAT: Canadian Achievement Test. The CAT is a national test series designed to measure student progress in basic skills typically taught in schools across Canada.
• EA: Educational Assistant. An EA supports the learning needs of a child with special needs in the general education classroom.
• ESL:English as a Second Language
• GT:Gifted/Talented
• ICMP: Integrated Case Management Plan. An ICMP is a support plan developed for students with special needs through the combined effort of school personnel, government ministries, health-care personnel, and/or community agencies.
• IEP: Individual Education Plan. As in the U.S., an IEP is a plan designed to meet the special education needs of a student.
• IPRC: Identification, Placement and Review Committee. An IPRC decides whether students are in need of special education and plans the IEP.

• IP: Individual Plan. A student with anaphylactic allergies would have an IP.
• LAT: Learning Assistance Teacher. LAT is a school-based teaching position that is designed to support teachers and their students.
• MOE: Ministry of Education. The MOE is the provincial government body responsible for education.
• PAC: Parent Advisory Committee
• SBT: School Based Team. The SBT is an ongoing team of school-based personnel that assists classroom teachers in supporting students with special needs.
• SEA: Special Education Assistant. A SEA supports the learning needs of a child with special needs in the general education classroom.
• TA: Teacher Assistant. A TA supports the learning needs of a child with special needs in the general education classroom
• TESOL: Teacher of English to Speakers of Other Language

Note: Education in Canada is the responsibility of individual provinces and is governed by a Ministry of Education in each. Therefore, there are slight variations in special education terms across Canada. For province-specific information and terminology, go to the MOE site for your province: Alberta | British Columbia | Manitoba | New Brunswick | Newfoundland/Labrador | Nova Scotia | Ontario | Prince Edward Island | Quebec | Saskatchewan

More alphabet soup