Global special education acronym translator

Moving country or comparing education systems? Search common terms and follow links to local guidance. Terms in different countries are not legal equivalents. Eligibility, enforceability, assessment and appeal rights must be checked under local rules.

Search an acronym, country or meaning

Showing 16 terms

Acronym	Meaning	Where used	What it refers to	Local guide
EHCP	Education, Health and Care Plan	England	Statutory plan for eligible children and young people	Guide
SEN support	Special educational needs support	England	School-based support; not the same as an EHCP	Guide
CSP	Co-ordinated Support Plan	Scotland	Statutory plan where Scottish eligibility criteria are met	Guide
IDP	Individual Development Plan	Wales	Statutory plan for additional learning needs under Welsh law	Guide
Statement of SEN	Statement of Special Educational Needs	Northern Ireland	Statutory special educational needs document in Northern Ireland	Guide
IEP	Individualized Education Program	United States	IDEA-governed program for an eligible student	Guide
504 plan	Section 504 accommodation plan	United States	Accommodation arrangements under federal civil rights law; not an IDEA IEP	Guide
IPP	Individualized Program Plan	Alberta, Canada	Alberta school planning term; processes and terminology may evolve	Guide
IEP	Individual Education Plan	Some Canadian provinces	Terminology and legal status vary by province	Guide
SENO	Special Educational Needs Organiser	Ireland	NCSE role supporting access to special education provision	Guide
NCSE	National Council for Special Education	Ireland	National special education agency	Guide
NCCD	Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability	Australia	National collection describing adjustments; not a student plan	Guide
PLP	Personalised Learning Plan	Australia (varies)	School planning term; local terminology differs	Guide
PAP	Plan d'accompagnement personnalisé	France	Personalised support plan for certain learning difficulties	Guide
PPS	Projet personnalisé de scolarisation	France	Individualised schooling plan within the disability support framework	Guide
PPT	Pedagogical Psychological Service	Lithuania	Local educational assessment and support service	Guide

Are an EHCP, IEP and IPP the same?

No. England's EHCP is a statutory plan under English law; a US IEP is governed by IDEA; and an Alberta IPP is a provincial school planning term. Their eligibility tests, decision-makers and review procedures are different. Never assume a plan transfers automatically when relocating.

What should families do before moving?

Keep copies of assessments, support plans, progress records and accommodations. Contact the destination school or education authority early to ask about its assessment, enrolment and support process. Start with our country resource finder and learning support request form.

How to use this reference

This is a terminology aid, not a legal equivalence table. School systems can change their language and procedures. Check the linked jurisdiction-specific guides and their official sources before making decisions.

Plans, people, principles and data collections

These terms describe different things: an EHCP is a plan, a SENO is an NCSE professional role, and NCCD is a national data collection. Comparing the acronym alone can send families to the wrong application or complaint route.

Which assessment route should I use?

Use our UK and Ireland assessment route guide to distinguish an England EHC needs assessment, Welsh ALN decisions, Scottish additional support assessment, Northern Ireland statutory assessment and Republic of Ireland school support routes.

What if agreed support is not delivered?

Use the regional support-delivery guide to find the local implementation or disagreement process. A placement appeal, a request to change a plan and a complaint about missing provision may have different procedures.

Updated: 30 October 2026.