Adoption Acronyms

When you are going through the adoption process, there will be acrnoyms used that may be unfamiliar to you. This is a list of some of the common acronyms that our Parent Liaisons have heard. Do you have any that you could add? Please feel free to contact us at Kimberly@adopt4life.com

AB = Adoptive Brother

ACC = Adoption Council of Canada

ACO = Adoption Council of Ontario

ACSD = Assistance for Children with Severe Disabilities

ADD = Attention Deficit Disorder

ADHD = Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

ADP = Provincial Assistive Devices Program

AF = Adoptive Father

AGF = Adoptive Grandfather

AGM = Adoptive Grandmother

AM = Adoptive Mother

AO = Adoption Order

AP = Adoption Probation

AP = Adoptive Parent

ARE = Adoption Resource Exchange

ARND = Alcohol-Related Neurodevelopmental Disorder

AS = Adoptive Sister

ASD = Autism Spectrum Disorder

ASL = American Sign Language

BB = Birth Brother

BF = Birth Father

BHB = Birth Half Brother

BHS = Birth Half Sister

BM = Birth Mother

BS = Birth Sister

CAS = Children’s Aid Society

CCAC = Community Care Access Centre

CCAS = Catholic Children’s Aid Society

CLP = Common Law Partner

CYW = Child and Youth Worker

DD = Developmental Disability/Delay

DOB = Date of Birth

DR = Doctor (Physician, Psychiatrist, etc.)

DTC = Disability Tax Credit

FAS = Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

FASD = Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder

FB = Foster Brother

FF – Foster Father

FM = Foster Mother

FP = Foster Parent

FS = Foster Sister

GMGF = Great Maternal Grandfather

GMGM = Great Maternal Grandmother

GPGF + Great Paternal Grandfather

GPGM = Great Paternal Grandmother

HS = Home Study

IEP = Individual Education Plan

IPRC = Identification, Placement and Review Committee

MA = Maternal Aunt

MCYS = Ministry of Children and Youth Services

MGF = Maternal Grandfather

MGM = Maternal Grandmother

MU = Maternal Uncle

NACAC = North American Council on Adoptable Children

NCFST = Native Child and Family Services of Toronto

ODD = Oppositional Defiance Disorder

ODSP = Ontario Disability Support Program

OT = Occupational Therapist

PA = Paternal Aunt

PADS = Post Adoption Depression Syndrome

PGF + Paternal Grandfather

PGM = Paternal Grandmother

PLT = Play Therapist

PT = Physiotherapist

PU = Paternal Uncle

S.A.F.E. = Structured Analysis Family Evaluation

SB = Step Brother

SF = Step Father

SIB = Self Injurious Behaviours

SLP = Speech Language Pathologist

SM = Step Mother

SS = Step Sister

SSAH = Special Services at Home

SW = Social Worker

TE = Teacher

TH = Therapist

WWK = Wendy’s Wonderful Kids