PAP, PPS, PAI: which school support plan for which child
Three acronyms, three logics. Understanding what sets PAP (a learning accommodation plan), PPS (an individualised schooling plan) and PAI (a healthcare plan at school) apart saves months of back and forth between the school, the school doctor and the MDPH (the French disability rights agency).
- Three acronyms, three logics
- The PAI (individual care plan) for a health need
- The PAP (personalised support plan) for learning difficulties
- The PPS (personalised schooling plan) for recognised disability situations
- Comparing at a glance to choose
- The steps in the right order
- Common confusions to avoid
- Key takeaways
Three acronyms, three logics
PAP, PPS and PAI are the three main schemes for adjusting schooling in France. The PAI (individualised care plan) addresses a medical need, the PAP (personalised support plan) a recognised learning difficulty without disability, the PPS (personalised schooling plan) a disability situation notified by the MDPH. Choosing the right scheme avoids months of back-and-forth between the school, the school doctor and the MDPH, and gives the child the framework suited to their needs.
The PAI (individual care plan) for a health need
The PAI (Plan d'Accueil Individualisé, individualised care plan) is drawn up between the family, the school and the school doctor when the child has a health condition that requires a particular arrangement at school: food allergy, asthma, diabetes, epilepsy, medication.
The PAI sets out:
- the emergency protocol to apply if needed
- the treatments authorised and who may administer them
- the activities to adapt (canteen, sport, outings)
The PAP (personalised support plan) for learning difficulties
The PAP (Plan d'Accompagnement Personnalisé, personalised support plan) is for pupils with learning difficulties (dyslexia, dysorthographia, dyscalculia, dyspraxia, dysphasia) that do not fall under the MDPH.
It is proposed by the teaching team with the school doctor's opinion and signed by the family. It lists the educational adjustments put in place in class:
- extra time during assessments
- written instructions in addition to spoken ones
- authorised digital tools
The PPS (personalised schooling plan) for recognised disability situations
The PPS (Projet Personnalisé de Scolarisation, personalised schooling plan) is the most structuring of the three. It is set up when a child is recognised as being in a disability situation by the Commission for the rights and autonomy of people with disabilities (CDAPH), following an application filed with the MDPH.
The PPS opens the door to resources that do not exist in the PAP or the PAI:
- the possible presence of an AESH (one-to-one school support assistant) full-time or part-time
- enrolment in ULIS (an inclusive school support unit) or attendance at a medico-social facility
- the provision of adapted educational equipment by the local education authority
- annual review meetings with the schooling follow-up team (ESS)
The request goes through an MDPH application filed by the family. Processing takes several months.
Comparing at a glance to choose
The right scheme depends on the nature of the need, not on the severity felt by the family. A few simple markers:
- need for a medical protocol to apply at school -> PAI
- learning difficulty needing educational adjustments only -> PAP
- need for human support, funded equipment or a specific placement -> MDPH application then PPS
A child can combine PAI and PPS (for example an autism spectrum condition with epilepsy), but not PAP and PPS, which are mutually exclusive.
The steps in the right order
To avoid hold-ups, the sequence to follow:
- discussion with the teacher and the management about the difficulties observed
- appointment with the school doctor who directs towards PAI or PAP
- if the situation falls under disability, filing of an MDPH application with a medical certificate
- educational team at the school to formalise the scheme chosen
This gradual approach is expected by the institution. Skipping a step often lengthens the timescales.
Common confusions to avoid
A few recurring pitfalls that delay putting the right scheme in place:
- believing that the PAP is enough when the need is in fact an AESH (which falls under the PPS)
- filing an MDPH application without a detailed medical certificate: it will be returned for additional documents
- confusing a medical diagnosis and recognition of disability: the two are independent
- waiting for the MDPH decision to start the adjustments in class, when the teacher can already adapt their instructions
Beyond the administrative scheme, no PAP or PPS conveys in a few seconds to a stand-in how your child functions day to day. Some parents add a myHandiQR profile, a QR code that leads to a profile ready to read.
Key takeaways
- PAI = health, PAP = learning, PPS = disability: three entry points, three different logics.
- The PPS is the only one that opens entitlement to an AESH, to funded educational equipment and to a specialised placement.
- The school doctor is the key contact for directing between PAI and PAP before any MDPH application.
- A solid MDPH application needs a detailed medical certificate and consistent school observations.
- The right order: school observation, school doctor, MDPH if needed. Skipping a step lengthens the timescales.
No need to explain it to every new person.
Three texts (introduction, how to help, what to avoid), one shared QR code. When scanned, your contact reads what they need to know, in their own language. You take back control of the story without carrying its weight at every encounter.