A student in Ontario can be identified as ‘exceptional’ under 1 of 5 categories of exceptionalities. School Boards must develop an IEP for each ‘identified’ student and have the discretion to develop IEPs for students who are not identified as exceptional but are receiving special education services. The categories of exceptionality are:
- Behaviour
- Communication including Autism, Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Language Impairment and Learning Disability
- Intellectual including Giftedness, Mild Intellectual Disability and Developmental Disability
- Physical including Physical Disability and Blind and Low Vision
- Multiple including Multiple Exceptionalities
More information on these exceptionalities is available at www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/parents/speced.html or visit your school board’s website.
Note: Students with FASD can potentially touch on many, if not all, exceptionalities outlined by the Ministry of Education. Often students with FASD are placed in a behavioural program which does not address the needs of students with FASD, and could leading to worsening secondary disabilities. This is because FASD is a physical brain-based disability with behavioural symptoms. In addition, none of the current categories of exceptionalities singularly reflect the needs of students with FASD because they are all uniquely challenged.
- Commonly Used Acronyms from PAaC-SEAC
www.paac-seac.ca/commonly-used-acronyms/
Special Education Terms
ABA – Applied Behaviour Analysis
CIPR – Comité d’identification, de placement et de révision (IPRC)
CCED – Comité consultatif pour l’enfance en difficulté (SEAC)
IEP – Individual Education Plan
IPRC – Identification, Placement and Review Committee
IEP – Individual Educational Plan
IPRC – Identification, Placement and Review Committee
PEI – Plan d’enseignement individualisé (IEP)
SEA – Special Equipment Amount
SEAC – Special Education Advisory Committee
SEPPA – Special Education Per Pupil Amount
SERT – Special Education Resource Teacher
SIP – Special Incidence Portion
Ministries
EDU – Ministry of Education
MCYS – Ministry of Children & Youth Services
MCSS – Ministry of Community and Social Services
MOHLTC – Ministry of Health & Long-Term Care
MTCU – Ministry of Training, Colleges & Universities
Ministry Terms
ADP – Assistive Devices Program (MOHLTC)
AODA – Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (MCSS)
CCAC – Community Care Access Centre (MOHLTC)
OSAP – Ontario Student Assistance Plan (MTCU)
OSR – Ontario School Record (EDU)
PPM – Policy Program Memorandum (EDU)
Education Groups
ADFO – Association des directions et directions adjointes des écoles franco-ontariennes
AEFO – Association des enseignantes et des enseignants franco-ontariens
CODE – Council for Directors of Education
CODELF – Conseil ontarien des directrices et des directeurs de l’éducation de langue française
CPCO – Catholic Principals’ Council of Ontario
EQAO – Education Quality & Accountability Office
ETFO – Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario
MACSE – Minister’s Advisory Council on Special Education
OCASE – Ont. Council of Administrators in Special Education
OCSOA – Ontario Catholic Supervisory Officers’ Association
OECTA – Ont. English Speaking Catholic Teachers’ Association
OFIFC – Ontario Federation of Indian Friendship Centres
OPC – Ontario Principals’ Council
OPSOA – Ontario Public Supervisory Officials’ Association
OPSTF – Ontario Public School Teachers’ Federation
OSCA – Ontario School Counsellors’ Association
OSLA – Ont. Assn of Speech-language Pathologists and Audiologists
OSSTF – Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation
OTF – Ontario Teachers’ Federation
PAAC on SEAC – Parent Association Advisory Committee on Special Education Advisory Committees
PPE – Parents partenaires en éducation
Parent/Special Needs Associations
ABC – Association for Bright Children
AO – Autism Ontario
CADDAC – Centre for ADHD/ADD Advocacy, Canada
CEC – Council for Exceptional Children
CHS – Canadian Hearing Society
CLO – Community Living Ontario
CNIB – Canadian National Institute for the Blind
CPF – Canadian Parents for French
LDAO – Learning Disabilities Association of Ontario
FASD ONE – Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Ontario Network of Expertise
NEADS – National Education Association of Disabled Students
OAAIS – Ont. Assoc. of Alternative and Independent Schools
OACMHC – Ontario Association of Children’s Mental Health Centres
OACRS – Ont. Assoc. of Children’s Rehabilitation Centres
OASAR – Ont. Assoc. for Students at Risk
OBIA – Ontario Brain Injury Association
OFCP – Ontario Federation for Cerebral Palsy
OSAC – Ontario Society for Autistic Citizens
SBHAO – Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Society
TESS – The Easter Seal Society
TSF – Tourette Syndrome Foundation
VIEWS – VIEWS for the Visually Impaired
VOICE – VOICE for the Hearing Impaired