Certification for Educators
Your Path Starts Here
​Become a Certified Academic Language Therapist or Practitioner (CALT/CALP)
Empowering Educators to Transform Dyslexic Students’ Lives | Training Programs 2025
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Summer 2025 Online Training and In-Person Clinical Programs.
Register today for Language 1 Sounds In Syllables
Join our Expert Therapists and Practitioners who teach students all over the world. Our Master instructors prepare you for eligibility to sit for the Academic Language Therapy Association (ALTA) Competency Exam.
Over 500 educators have completed our IMSLEC-accredited therapy and practitioner-level training. They work with students in public, private and home-school environments. See below for certification requirements and opportunities so that you can begin to transform your educational career and teach lifelong academic success to your students. ​​
Dyslexia Therapist Program
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Program Requirements
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200 hours of Science of Reading Reading Course
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700 hours of supervised clinical practice: one-to-one instruction
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20 lessons observed by qualified instructors over a 20-month period
Required Courses and Sequence
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Language 1: Sounds in Syllables© Multisensory Structured Language Education
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Neuropsychology of Learning Differences and Disorders
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Language 2: Advanced Multisensory Structured Language Education (MSLE)
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Language 3: Upper-Level MSLE plus grammar and writing
Program Includes
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No-cost referrals during first year of training: Earn While You Learn! You may start to charge fees for students ASDEC refers to you after you complete your initial practicum.
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Support to set up private practice
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Monthly supervision meetings
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Initial training materials and student kit.
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Graduate credit from Trinity University Washington available for an additional fee
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Study Guides to prepare for National Certification Exam from ALTA
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Access to Sounds In Syllables Curriculum and manipulatives available only to those who participate in ASDEC training this is not a commercial product.
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“I am teaching high school students who are far grade level in reading. I collaborate with their ELA teachers who reinforce foundational reading concepts that I teach each day. These teachers are amazed at the improvement not only in student academic performance, but equally amazed that their disruptive behaviors have disappeared.”
- High School Teacher, Frederick County Public Schools
who is ASDEC trained and ALTA Certified Academic Language Practitioner ​
ASDEC Dyslexia Practitioner Program
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ASDEC is proud to partner with Frederick County, Maryland Public Schools to deliver train Academic Language Practitioners (CALP). As of July 2024, ASDEC has trained over 240 FCPS teachers, all of whom have completed the full nine-month practicum. 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.
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For information about our training program in Frederick County Public Schools, contact us at questions@asdec.org
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“Our teachers love the training and they are so pleased with the progress their students make each day. They especially appreciate the ongoing coaching and support.”
- Sara Chaya Farbstein, Ph.D. Director of Teaching and Learning, ASDEC Trained and ALTA Certified Academic Language Therapist and Qualified Instructor in Training.
​​ASDEC Practitioner Level Training Options
for all other educators
ASDEC Partners with EPS/SPIRE to deliver Orton-Gillingham based Multisensory Language Instruction endorsed by IDA and accredited by IMSLEC. SPIRE training begins with a 5-hour introductory workshop delivered by SPIRE staff. This training is arranged independently of ASDEC and organized by EPS.
Program Requirements
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45 hours of Science of Reading Coursework and Seminars
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60 hours of supervised clinical practice: small group instruction
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5 lessons observed by qualified instructors over a 9-month period.
Program Includes
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Coordination with school team facilitator
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Access to Structured Literacy Curriculum: SPIRE or Language Foundations
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Curriculum and starter kit of manipulatives
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Graduate credit from Trinity University Washington available for an additional fee
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Study Guides to prepare for National Certification Exam from ALTA
"I haven't been excited about teaching place value in the past, but by following the MSM lessons I've learned so far it's been such a joy this year. I started out with the craft sticks for counting and composing 10's and 100's. A few weeks in, I brought out the base ten blocks and used them together to make the connection. We moved into the R and A of CRA and the students were confident and excited to show their work. This week (in second grade) we started using money and they flourished. Phrases like "I get it" and " this is so easy " could be heard all over.”
- Classroom Teacher
Multisensory Math Certification
ASDEC is THE ONLY IMSLEC-accredited training center to deliver Specialist certification recognized by the Academy of Orton-Gillingham Practitioners and Educators.
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Teaching Level Practitioner in Multisensory Math: Level 1
ASDEC’s teaching level certification in Multisensory Math is designed for educational professionals working with students in the classroom as well as those who work with students in small groups or one-to-one.
The Multisensory Math Program is an outgrowth of an effort to apply strategies from evidence based reading instruction to conceptually based mathematics instruction. It is truly Orton-Gillingham based math instruction. While the methods were originally created to meet the needs of diverse learners, they do meet current evidence supporting instruction for all learners. In fact, more and more curricula suggest using manipulatives to guide concept development. The difference with this program is the emphasis on the instructional language. For some students, the language of instruction is the critical link to concept formation and the development of skills toward application. Multisensory Math Certification assures that teachers have mastered the Concrete-Representational-Abstract Instructional Sequence and explicit language to make math concepts memorable.
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emphasis on the instructional language. For some students, the language of instruction is the critical link to concept formation and the development of skills toward application. Multisensory Math Certification assures that teachers have mastered the Concrete-Representational-Abstract Instructional Sequence and explicit language to make math concepts memorable.
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Teaching Level 1: Certified Multisensory Math Practitioner
Program Requirements
Applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
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Option 1: Certified Multisensory Math Practitioner K-5
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Coursework: MSM I
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Practicum of Teaching Monthly Two Hour Meeting with practicum group and supervisor
Option 2: Certified Multisensory Math Practitioner K-Algebra
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Coursework: Multisensory Math I & Multisensory Math II
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Practicum of Teaching Monthly 2 hour virtual meetings covering additional in depth content on instructional strategies, learning disabilities, diagnostic prescriptive teaching and the neuropsychology of math teaching and learning.
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Teaching Level 2: Certified Multisensory Math Coach/Supervisor
Program Requirements
Complete All requirements for Level 1 Practicum but the emphasis on observations would be at the upper elementary and secondary levels with a focus on pre-algebra and algebra as well as modeling instruction for others, beginning supervision and mastering content for small presentations.
Teaching Level 3: Multisensory Math Certified Instructor of Teaching
Program Requirements
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Bachelor's Degree from and Accredited Institution of Higher Learning.​
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Master's Degree from an Accredited Institution of Higher Learning.
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Completion of Multisensory Math I and Multisensory Math II, and Successful Completion of The Multisensory Math Practicums of Teaching Levels 1 and 2.
"The training that I received from ASDEC profoundly and forever changed my philosophy and approach to teaching. (I always half-jokingly say that I want to go back to my pre-ASDEC teacher self, give her a hug, and let her know that she'll one day know how to reach all of the learners in her classroom!) In addition to my ASDEC training, however, my instructional knowledge and skills increased further through the time I spent in the classroom with each of you. I consider it such a gift to have taught with you, and I know this was invaluable to my growth/development as a teacher. Thank you."
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- Mary McAndrews, MA, CALT
JOIN OUR TEAM OF QUALIFIED INSTRUCTORS: CAREER OPPORTUNITIES AT ASDEC
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After you receive your certification from ALTA, ASDEC offers outstanding opportunities for you to continue with our expert community.
Supervisor
CALTS and CALPs may join ASDEC’s Supervisory team after completing a three-month internship. Supervisors meet with interns two times per month and conduct videotaped observations.
Qualified Instructor
CALTS who have a master’s degree and CALPS with a bachelor’s degree may join the ASDEC faculty as Qualified Instructors. Instructors also deliver workshops in the Washington area as well as throughout the country. Full requirements for Qualified Instructor are available on the ALTA website.