Edugains makes available, through Growing Success (2010) and ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS ESL AND ELD PROGRAMS AND SERVICES, details that distinguish programming for Special Education or English as a Second Language (ESL).
It is very important to understand the difference between each, as they may overlap.
ESL - English as a Second Language (the program):
Programs for students whose first language is a language other than English or a variety of English significantly different from that used for instruction in Ontario schools. Students in these programs have had educational opportunities to develop age-appropriate first-language literacy skills.
Special Education Program:
As defined in the Education Act, “an educational program for an exceptional pupil that is based on and modified by the results of continuous assessment and evaluation, and that includes a plan containing specific objectives and an outline of educational services that meet the needs of the exceptional pupil”.