Dyslexia advisory council outlines resource guide updates, training and stipend for certified therapists

The Dyslexia Advisory Council told the Alabama State Board of Education about recent updates to the Dyslexia Resource Guide, the state’s dyslexia-related statutory framework and a new state supplement intended to encourage certification for dyslexia specialists.

Sonia Yates, speaking for the council, reviewed the council’s role advising the Alabama State Department of Education and summarized how dyslexia is represented in state policy. She said the council’s long-term priorities include clearer referral processes, wider access to dyslexia-specific training and a plan to expand certified therapists in schools.

Yates opened her presentation with the council’s working definition: “Dyslexia is a specific learning challenge ... that is neurological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities.” She traced the council’s formation from sustained parent and practitioner advocacy, noted dyslexia’s explicit treatment in the Alabama Administrative Code and said the Alabama Literacy Act later incorporated dyslexia provisions.

Training and certification: Presenters described that the state will make dyslexia-certification training courses available to Alabama public-school educators and that preparation programs must be approved by recognized accrediting bodies. The council described state-sponsored Multisensory Structured Language Education (MSLE) training and said cohorts have expanded in recent years.

Certified academic language therapists and stipend: Council members described a state policy to provide an annual supplement for certified academic language therapists. Sonia Yates said, “the state of Alabama will provide an annual, supplement of 5,000 for certified academic language therapists who are properly certified by the state of Alabama and teaching full time in Alabama public, K through 12 schools or, public independent schools. And then the teacher will get 5,000 supplement. The district will receive 6,000 with that additional 1,000, allocation per teacher being provided to local education agents to cover those employer benefits associated with the settlement. And, of course, this 1,000 is not guaranteed from year to year, but it's based on legislative appropriations and other factors.” The council framed the supplement as a step to incentivize pursuit of the additional certification because certification programs require time and cost.

Resource guide and screening policy: The council walked the board through edits made to the Dyslexia Resource Guide to align screening, intervention and referral with the Alabama Literacy Act. They emphasized that students who show characteristics of dyslexia should receive dyslexia-specific intervention regardless of whether they are served in general education or special education. The presenters clarified that universal screening tools and more diagnostic screeners serve different roles; lack of progress in a dyslexia-specific intervention should trigger an in-depth dyslexia screening.

Council composition and capacity: Presenters said the Dyslexia Advisory Council includes parents, certified academic language therapists (CALTs), classroom teachers and retired administrators and that the council operates on a volunteer basis. They noted capacity limits—travel and training costs typically fall on members or their districts—and requested clearer departmental procedures for handling parent contacts and referrals.

Ending: Council members asked the board to continue support for training, to consider dedicated funding for dyslexia therapists in schools and to help the council formalize channels for statewide communication and referrals. They said the Dyslexia Resource Guide will continue to be refined as implementation questions arise.