State’s first masters program for dyslexia therapy to be offered by UWA

The University of West Alabama has announced it will offer a Master of Dyslexia Therapy degree, becoming the first in the state to provide the degree.

The online program prepares people to help students between kindergarten and third grade improve their reading proficiency. It is meant to support the goals of the recent Alabama Literacy Act.

Keep reading to see more information on UWA’s initiative + see how you can get involved.

Master of Dyslexia Therapy

The estimated two-year program will prepare therapists to build reading proficiency in students with written-language disorders, including dyslexia.

UWA designed the online dyslexia therapy graduate program will help educators and therapists:

• Earn a master’s degree that supports a career in the classroom or private settings
• Learn the Orton-Gillingham approach for teaching students with dyslexia and related barriers to reading proficiency
• Gain the eligibility to sit for the Academic Language Therapy Association (ALTA) exam
• Develop specialized abilities for dyslexia therapist, dyslexia specialist, instructional coach, interventionist + educational diagnostician

Why it’s needed

Dyslexia, as defined by the Alabama Literacy Act, is a learning challenge or disability that is neurological in origin and characterized by difficulties with accurate or fluent word recognition and poor spelling and decoding abilities.

According to the International Dyslexia Association, approximately 15-20 percent of the population is impacted by dyslexia. West Alabama is hoping to limit that impact for kids struggling to learn.

The goal of dyslexia therapy is to provide children with the tools they need to read at grade level. The Literacy Act states any third-grade students who cannot read at grade level on an annual standardized test may be held back.

“Teachers regularly show me where their students were before they started therapy and where they are now, and it’s evident this curriculum and the techniques work. Students are using the tools and rules they’ve learned to be successful in the classroom.”

~ Sara Reynolds, coordinator of clinical experiences in UWA’s College of Education

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