IEP, IPP, PI, PLP: Canadian special education terms explained
Every Canadian province uses different language for the same idea — a written plan for your child at school. Search any acronym or filter by province to find what your child's plan is called and how to advocate for it.
Used in: Ontario, BC, Newfoundland and Labrador, PEI
Used in: Ontario, BC, Newfoundland and Labrador, PEI
A written plan describing the special education program and services your child needs. In Ontario it must be developed within 30 school days of placement and is tied to the IPRC process. In BC it follows a ministry designation and is reviewed at least once per year.
Parent tip:Always request the IEP in writing and ask for a draft before the meeting so you can mark it up.
Alberta's IPP (Individualized Program Plan) and Nova Scotia's IPP (Individual Program Plan) document goals, accommodations, and services. There is no formal identification committee like Ontario's IPRC — decisions are made by the school learning or program planning team with parent input.
Parent tip:Bring documentation to the learning/program planning team meeting; the team's notes become the IPP.
Quebec's plan d'intervention is developed by a multidisciplinary team including parents. It identifies the student's needs, sets measurable goals, and lists the services and accommodations the school will provide — often within the HDAA framework.
Parent tip:Ask for the PI to be revisited each term; Quebec law requires regular review with the parent.
Used in: New Brunswick (and similar plans across Atlantic Canada)
Used in: New Brunswick (and similar plans across Atlantic Canada)
New Brunswick uses Personalized Learning Plans inside its inclusive education model — most students are supported in regular classrooms. Other Atlantic provinces use related Student Support Plans with similar accommodations and review schedules.
Parent tip:Inclusive doesn't mean unsupported — insist that the PLP names the specific staff and minutes per week.
Manitoba's Student Specific Plan is the provincial equivalent of an IEP — a written plan for students who need programming beyond standard classroom differentiation, with annual review and parent involvement.
Parent tip:Ask the resource teacher to walk you through the SSP page-by-page before signing.
Saskatchewan's Personal Program Plan documents intensive supports and individualized goals for students who need more than universal or targeted classroom strategies. It's developed collaboratively with the family.
Parent tip:Saskatchewan's tiered model means a PPP signals tier 3 — bring data showing why universal supports aren't enough.
IPRC— Identification, Placement and Review Committee
Used in: Ontario
Used in: Ontario
Ontario's formal process for identifying a student as 'exceptional' and deciding their placement. The IPRC must meet within 15 school days of a written parent request, and decisions on identification or placement can be appealed to the Special Education Appeal Board and the Ontario Special Education Tribunal.
Parent tip:Always request the IPRC in writing, ask for a parent's guide, and bring every assessment you have to the meeting.
Accommodations change how your child learns or shows what they know without changing the curriculum expectations (e.g. extra time, scribe, assistive technology). Modifications change what is being taught — usually grade-level expectations are altered. The distinction matters: accommodations preserve credit-bearing curriculum; modifications can affect graduation pathways.
Parent tip:Ask the school to put each accommodation in writing with a frequency (daily / per task) and a person responsible.
BSP / BIP— Behaviour Support Plan / Behaviour Intervention Plan
Used in: All provinces (terminology varies)
Used in: All provinces (terminology varies)
A written plan that identifies the function of a behaviour, the triggers and antecedents, proactive strategies, teaching of replacement skills, and a de-escalation / response protocol. A real BSP is informed by a Functional Behaviour Assessment (FBA), not just a list of consequences.
Parent tip:If the 'plan' is just a list of rewards and consequences, ask for an FBA and a proactive strategies section.
A structured assessment that identifies the function (purpose) of a behaviour — escape, attention, sensory, access — using observation, interviews, and data. The FBA is the foundation for any meaningful BSP/BIP.
Parent tip:Ask who is conducting the FBA and over what time window. A few hours of observation isn't enough for high-frequency behaviour.
Most provinces give parents the right to appeal a suspension and challenge an 'exclusion' (being told to keep your child home without a formal suspension). In Ontario, suspensions over 5 days and all expulsions go to the board's discipline committee; shorter suspensions can be appealed to the board within 10 school days.
Parent tip:Ask for the suspension reason and supporting evidence in writing the same day. Informal exclusion ("keep them home tomorrow") must be documented as a suspension or it isn't legal.
A comprehensive assessment by a registered psychologist that measures cognitive ability, academic achievement, processing, and (often) social-emotional functioning. The report yields a diagnosis where applicable and concrete recommendations the school can implement on the IEP/IPP/PI/PLP.
Parent tip:Whether public-funded or private, insist on a feedback session and ask the psychologist to translate recommendations into IEP-ready language.
Ontario funding that helps school boards purchase equipment essential to a student's education — laptops with assistive software, FM systems, specialized seating, communication devices, and more. SEA claims are submitted by the board with documentation from a qualified professional.
Parent tip:Ask the school what professional report is required to start the SEA claim, then make sure it's submitted before deadlines.
HDAA— Handicapés ou en difficulté d'adaptation ou d'apprentissage
Used in: Quebec
Used in: Quebec
Quebec's official designation framework for students with disabilities or with adjustment or learning difficulties. HDAA status drives the development of the plan d'intervention and access to specialized services within the school service centre.
Parent tip:Ask for a copy of the school service centre's HDAA policy — services and ratios vary noticeably between centres.
Newfoundland and Labrador's interdepartmental plan for students whose needs cross education, health, and community services. The ISSP coordinates supports across providers alongside the school's IEP.
Parent tip:An ISSP requires named contacts in each agency — make sure the meeting minutes capture who is doing what by when.
