UA partnership to address dyslexia therapist shortage

The University of Arkansas College of Education and Health Professions^[1] will collaborate with the Academic Language Therapy Association and Fayetteville-based Nelms Dyslexia Center to build a “stronger, better-prepared workforce” of dyslexia therapists in Arkansas, according to a news release.

Certified Academic Language Therapists (CALTs) assist students with written-language disabilities, such as dyslexia; however, there’s a shortage of these therapists in Arkansas schools. Based on estimates that show dyslexia affects 20% of the population, about 1,500 CALTs are needed for Arkansas’ 1,060 public schools alone.

The state has 176 of the therapists working in various settings, including public, private, and home schools as well as private therapy.

The new collaboration will allow Arkansans pursuing a CALT certification to simultaneously earn credit at the UA toward a master’s degree in special education. This is expected to expedite the credentialing process and make it more affordable, the release shows.

The Nelms Dyslexia Center^[2] will be the first affiliate CALT training location under this new pathway. The goal is to add more affiliate locations throughout Arkansas and the country to expand the workforce of dyslexia therapists.

“This new graduate degree pathway will help fill the crucial need for CALT professionals,” said Kate Mamiseishvili, dean of the College of Education and Health Professions. “Our partnership will serve children and families in Arkansas by boosting the state’s professional dyslexia therapist community so more highly trained CALTs can begin working in schools and learning spaces where they are essential.”

CALT certification takes two years to complete and requires at least 200 hours of classroom instruction and 700 hours of dyslexia therapy practice with students, under the supervision of a qualified instructor, as well as 10 observed instructional sessions and passing a national certification exam. CALTs must also earn a master’s degree within five years of taking the exam.

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