Dyslexia Therapy

Frequently Asked Questions

What is unique about Dyslexia Therapy at SVS?

Spring Valley's Dyslexia Therapy program:

Is a comprehensive program designed to rewire pathways for lifelong learning.
Serves each whole child, without forfeiting the whole school experience.
Is a therapy program that starts on day one of school.

Spring Valley currently has 6 Certified Academic Language Therapists (CALTs) and 5 Certified Academic Language Practitioners (CALPs) on staff, and 6 more teachers on track to certification.

CALTs:

Hold the highest level of dyslexia therapy certification.
Are a provider of diagnostic, explicit, systematic Multi-sensory Structured Language intervention which builds a high degree of accuracy, knowledge, and independence for students with written-language disorders, including dyslexia.

Dyslexia Therapists at Spring Valley have received training with Neuhaus Education Center in:

The nature of literacy acquisition.
The facets of domains of language.
The characteristics of dyslexia diagnostic teaching practices.
The structure and patterns of English for reading and spelling.
Strategies for developing oral language and comprehension.

How are dyslexic learners supported across the curriculum at SVS?

What is a CALT?

CALTs (Certified Academic Language Therapists) are specialists with extensive training in English language systems, reading, and language-based disorders, including dyslexia and dysgraphia. They specialize in helping students build their reading skills from the ground up.

To earn a CALT designation from the Academic Language Therapy Association (ALTA), educators must:

hold a master’s degree or higher;
complete at least 200 hours of graduate-level instruction in comprehensive multi-sensory structured language education;
complete an extensive series of practicum experiences totaling at least 700 hours, supervised by a CALT Qualified Instructor (CALT-QI); and
complete at least 10 graded demonstrations over a minimum 2-year period.

CALTs must also pass a national certification exam and adhere to an ethical code of conduct.

Spring Valley School currently has 9 CALTs on staff.

What are the benefits of having CALTs on staff at SVS?

1. CALTs are highly trained dyslexia experts.

CALTs are dyslexia specialists. They have advanced training in decoding, encoding, phonology, phonics, orthography, morphology, semantics, syntax, and multi-sensory teaching methods.

2. CALTs have considerable hands-on experience working with students who have dyslexia.

In addition to instructional requirements, CALTs spend 700+ hours in direct, clinical one-on-one or small group intervention with students in 3 practicum settings.

3. CALTs are knowledgeable about both diagnosis and intervention.

Dyslexia therapy programs take a structured literacy approach, systematically breaking language and reading skills into manageable pieces. Instructional sessions feature sight, sound, touch, and movement modalities. To be considered therapeutic, sessions must be held a minimum of 120 minutes per week.

4. CALTs are excellent parent and family advocates.

CALTs can be instrumental in explaining the evaluation and intervention process to students and families. They can help parents articulate their concerns, share their priorities, and contribute meaningful goals to students' intervention plans.

5. CALTs can bring continuity of care to the process.

Some CALTs continue to be a resource to students and families long after the initial dyslexia therapy program has concluded. Reading difficulties can affect students’ mental health and self-esteem, so we are always focused on the development and progress of the whole child.

6. CALTs can help to educate other faculty members about dyslexia.

In our effort to support dyslexic learners across the curriculum - SVS faculty participate in professional development programs that aid them in applying instructional concepts of writing. Additionally, ELA faculty members are trained in the Science of Reading. Math curriculum and vocabulary are explicitly taught at the elementary level beginning in lower school.

My students are no longer LEARNING TO READ.They are READING TO LEARN.

- SVS DYSLEXIA THERAPIST

Dyslexia Therapy

The dyslexia therapy program at Spring Valley makes us unique among Alabama schools. All students who have a dyslexia diagnosis or a demonstrated need receive reading intervention daily, in addition to their regular English Language Arts instruction. Spring Valley’s dyslexia therapists are all highly-trained; they are all either graduates of the three-year Certified Academic Language Therapists (CALTs) program, or currently enrolled in it. The dyslexia therapists teach students using the Neuhaus Basic Language Skills curriculum, a research-based program that is specifically designed to teach people with dyslexia how to read. In addition to addressing phonemic awareness, phonics, and fluency, BLS also develops students’ vocabulary, comprehension, composition, and metacognitive skills. Dyslexia therapy holistically addresses students literacy needs, equipping them for success both inside and outside the classroom.

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Dyslexia Therapy

Frequently Asked Questions

What is unique about Dyslexia Therapy at SVS?

How are dyslexic learners supported across the curriculum at SVS?

What is a CALT?

What are the benefits of having CALTs on staff at SVS?

1. CALTs are highly trained dyslexia experts.

2. CALTs have considerable hands-on experience working with students who have dyslexia.

3. CALTs are knowledgeable about both diagnosis and intervention.

4. CALTs are excellent parent and family advocates.

5. CALTs can bring continuity of care to the process.

6. CALTs can help to educate other faculty members about dyslexia.

- SVS DYSLEXIA THERAPIST

Dyslexia Therapy at Spring Valley

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