§ 6-41-612 — Certified Academic Language Therapists

(a) The Division of Elementary and Secondary Education shall: (1) Create a network of Certified Academic Language Therapists to support public schools for the purpose of providing a specialized dyslexia instructional program designed to provide therapy to public school students with dyslexia or related reading and written language difficulties; (2) Establish and coordinate a dyslexia therapy training program for educators to increase the number of Certified Academic Language Therapists available to provide diagnostic, explicit, systematic, multisensory language intervention that builds a high degree of accuracy, knowledge, and independence for public school students with dyslexia or written language disorders; (3) Annually convene the network of Certified Academic Language Therapists or dyslexia therapists in order to: (A) Provide updated guidance; (B) Create resources for public schools and parents, legal guardians, and persons standing in loco parentis of public school students; and (C) Review outcomes data for reading in this state; and (4) Coordinate an International Multisensory Structured Language Education Council-accredited course to create additional pathways for certified teachers to develop proficiency in the science of reading in order to grow the network of dyslexia therapists. (b) An education service cooperative may support the implementation of this section by providing additional dyslexia services through a consortium within the region.

Legislative History

Added by Act 2021, No. 1016,§ 1, eff. 7/28/2021.