Certification Guidelines
Academic Language Certification: Therapy and Practioner Levels
Accreditation through the International Multisensory Language Education Council (IMSLEC) ensures that teachers are receiving an approved curriculum that meets the needs of learners at all levels. In 2012, IMSLEC was one of two organizations in the US to receive the International Dyslexia Association (IDA) endorsement for meeting teacher training standards in reading. The IDA standards provide a comprehensive, research-supported documentation of what every teacher needs to know and be able to demonstrate, whether they are teaching students with dyslexia, other struggling readers, or the general student population (Interdys.org).As an IMSLEC accredited training center, ASDEC certifies Academic Therapists in Sounds In Syllables, one of the most powerful Orton-Gillingham-based approaches to teaching reading (decoding, fluency, and comprehension), spelling, and the foundations of syntax and grammar. Experienced ASDEC faculty deliver in-depth training courses that prepare Academic Therapists to work one on one or in small groups with students.
ASDEC also prepares teachers for certification as Academic Language Practitioners (CALP). Classroom teachers and reading specialists who complete the ASDEC course, Language Foundations, and a 9-month supervision practicum are eligible to sit for the Alliance National Exam, which qualifies them as a Certified Academic Language Practitioner (CALP). The denotation of CALP identifies the individual as a member of the Academic Language Therapy Association and verifies that the individual has achieved the Teaching level of competency in the field of dyslexia education.
Supervision practicums for both Therapy and Practitioner Levels are available online.
Therapy Level Requirements:Therapists must complete 200 class hours and 500 practicum teaching hours under the supervision of ASDEC faculty. This supervised teaching enables interns to apply the lessons learned in their classes to actual teaching sessions with students under the careful guidance of master teachers. This core element of ASDEC's training program explains why our therapeutic approach is so successful, especially for those students who may have failed to learn under other specialized programs.
Upon completion of the practicum, Certified Academic Therapistsare eligible to sit for the Alliance National Exam, which qualifies them as a Certified Academic Language Therapist (CALT). The denotation of CALT identifies the individual as a member of the Academic Language Therapy Association (ALTA) and verifies that the individual has achieved the highest level of competency in the field of dyslexia education.
Practicum Teaching Requirements
After completing their Language 1 course, interns must enter a practicum of supervised teaching. Interns are encouraged to teach in the supervised summer program that takes place in July. Interns will work one-on-one with a student every morning for four weeks. They will earn supervised teacher hours as well as credit for two months of supervision. Interns not completing the July program will be required to complete 80 hours of pro bono service with one practicum student.
More Information
Academic Therapist Certification RequirementsPractitioner (Teaching) Level Requirements:
Academic Therapist Career Possibilities
All candidates applying for ALTA Certification at the Practitioner level must fulfill the following requirements:
- Have an updated file with ASDEC that includes the following:
· updated resume and
· a copy of the intern’s college diploma for the highest attained degree or final transcript.
- Have completed the following:
· Language Foundations Course (35 hours);
· Two Language Foundations Workshops (10 hours)
· Regular attendance at nine consecutive months of supervision meetings (with break for summer if relevant);
· Nine lesson plans and questions related to instruction submitted prior to monthly meetings;
· 100 teaching hours of Language Foundations instruction;
· Five observations submitted to supervisor either on-site or recorded; and
· Positive Evaluations from Supervisor.
3. Demonstrate growth in automaticity in all structured procedures as detailed in the Language Foundations curriculum and have the competencies, as evidenced in written evaluations, to practice independently as a Teaching Specialist.