Certified Academic Language Therapist (CALT) and
Certified Academic Language Therapist - Candidate (CALT-C)
Requirements

Updated 6/2023

To earn certification from the Academic Language Therapy Association as a Certified Academic Language Therapist (CALT) an individual must show successful completion of the following requirements:

I. Successful completion of Comprehensive Therapy-Level Training

II. Successful completion of the ALTA Competency Exam - Therapy Level

III. Hold a master's degree 

a. Candidates who successfully complete comprehensive therapy-level training and the ALTA CALT exam without a master's degree, may join ALTA as a CALT-Candidate (CALT-C) and will have an additional five years to complete the master’s degree. A CALT-C will enjoy all the benefits of a full voting member of ALTA for up to 5 years while they pursue a master's degree. If a CALT-C does not complete a master's degree within this time period, the CALT-C status will automatically convert to a CALP level. CALT-C members will meet the same requirements as other voting members regarding annual continued education hours and credentialing fees.

I. COMPREHENSIVE THERAPY-LEVEL TRAINING

"Comprehensive Therapy-Level Training" shall be defined as training under the supervision of a Certified Academic Language Therapist-Qualified Instructor (CALT-QI) that includes:

Completion of comprehensive therapy level training in a Multisensory Structured Language Education (MSLE) program that must include:

• minimum of 200 instructional hours, 
• minimum of 700 clinical/teaching practicum hours, with a minimum of 3 teaching situations in both intro and advanced levels of instruction, and
• minimum of 10 demonstrations. 
• Note: Clinical/teaching practicum documentation must be signed by the supervising instructor with the instructor's proof of credentials. 

Prerequisite: Successful completion of all Therapy-Level training requirements.

Acceptable performance on the ALTA Competency Exam. The ALTA exam is available to applicants, at the CALT level, with a minimum of two (2) years (21-24 months) and a maximum of five (5) years from the beginning of CALT Training. 

• Administration of the ALTA Competency Exam for MSLE is $180.
• A candidate will have up to one year to complete the exam, with an unlimited number of retakes at a fee of $180 per retake. After one year, the applicant will be required to reapply.
• Applicants will have 30 days from the initial application submission date to complete any required paperwork as listed above. If the applicant fails to provide the required documents within the 30 days, an additional $25 processing fee for each consecutive 30 days will be applied.
• Applicants who are deemed ineligible to sit for the Exam or who voluntarily withdraw their application will receive a refund of the initial application fee, less a $50 non-refundable processing fee.

A master’s degree is required for a Certified Academic Language Therapist.

• Candidates for CALT must hold a master’s degree.
• Candidates who successfully complete comprehensive therapy-level training without a master’s degree and successfully pass the ALTA CALT exam must join ALTA as a CALT-C and will have an additional five years to complete the master’s degree.

TO BEGIN YOUR APPLICATION

Please ensure you have met all of the prerequisites as listed above.