"My training as an educational therapist enables me to feel competent to address a greater variety of learning issues beyond my specialty, as well as recognize and address the emotional and social issues that often become obstacles to successful learning."

Deborah B. Fencer
Clinical Director of Educational Therapists of New England
Currently completing the Certificate in Educational Therapy

*This certificate will be offered again in January 2009. 

What is an Educational Therapist?
An educational therapist is a professional who combines educational and therapeutic approaches for evaluation, remediation, case management, and communication/advocacy on behalf of children, adolescents and adults with learning disabilities or learning problems. These problems include, but are not limited to, dyslexia, attention deficit disorders, reading, writing, language or math disabilities, low motivation levels, low academic self-esteem, and poor social, organizational, and study skills. Educational therapists also are concerned with appropriate school and college placements, and job performance skills. (From the AET Professional Directory, 2003)

Why is Educational Therapy Important?
As special education legislation and services change and the demands of society grow, the role of the educational therapist is becoming increasingly valuable.  In Massachusetts, with the expectations the MCAS has imposed on both students and teachers in public and independent school settings, the need for one-to-one academic intervention and mediation has increased beyond the realistic amount of time, energy, and expertise teachers can contribute to these demands.

Program Mission and Rationale
Curry College’s program focuses on two hallmarks: a high respect for the individuality of every student, and a developmental approach to learning that maximizes opportunities for achievement. The Graduate Certificate in Educational Therapy (GC/ET) reflects not only the mission of Curry College, but also the mission of the Association of Educational Therapy (AET) by striving to advance the profession through post masters coursework that speaks to the multidisciplinary nature of educational therapy.  Through the foundations of developmental education and reflection-in-action, the GC/ET provides practitioners and clinicians with opportunities to more fully develop their skills in the teacher-student relationship, and in the identification, evaluation and remediation of diagnosed or suspected learning disabilities in individuals across the lifespan. The GC/ET curriculum prepares students for the practice of educational therapy, and differentiates it from tutoring, regular class room teaching, and psychotherapy.

Who Should Attend
Curry’s program is ideal for master’s degree - prepared private practitioners or clinicians with backgrounds in special education, psychology, counseling, expressive therapies, speech and language, social work, and other related fields. These individuals may be working in learning centers, resource rooms, schools, colleges, universities, agencies, hospitals, and other settings that address the one-to-one needs of individuals with learning disabilities, attentional disorders, and co-existing disorders. Curry College graduates of the Master of Education program or graduates of other M.Ed. programs may find the GC/ET an excellent way to extend their skills in new directions and work toward certification as an Educational Therapist.

Why Choose Our Program
Curry College is widely known for its expertise in assisting students with learning disabilities.  Curry’s Program for the Advancement of Learning (PAL) offers an appropriate site for educational therapists who choose to work with traditionally- aged college students as well as students in the Adult Center who range in age from mid 20’s to 50’s. The Educational Diagnostic Testing Center at Curry College offers private diagnostic teaching sessions to individuals with LD/ADD who are in elementary and secondary school settings.

There are also numerous other educational settings in the Greater Boston area that are suitable for supervision purposes. Because of all of these existing resources at Curry, the Association of Educational Therapy (AET) approached Curry about partnering on the development of a graduate certificate program. The CG/ET will be the first program on the East Coast to offer a sequence of courses that are designed to meet the needs of both experienced and aspiring educational therapists. Although there are educational therapists who are members of the AET located in 38 states as well as several countries, until now with the launch of Curry’s program, the only certificate programs in this specialized field we re located in California.

A Pathway to Professional Certification as an Educational Therapist
The Curry College GC/ET is an important first step that provides the coursework component leading to Associate and Professional level membership in the Association of Educational Therapists. Curry will grant its GC/ET certificate upon successful completion of the program requirements, and students may pursue membership and/or certification with the AET separately. For further information about membership or certification by the Association of Educational Therapists, please refer to: www.aetonline.org

What You Will Learn
The GC/ET curriculum prepares students for the practice of educational therapy, a profession that is differentiated from tutoring, regular classroom teaching, and psychotherapy. Educational therapy is a multi-disciplinary field that encompasses:

• Conducting formal and informal educational assessment
• Synthesizing information from other specialists
• Understanding the client’s psychosocial context of family/school/community culture
• Developing and implementing appropriate remedial programs for school-related learning and behavior problems
• Providing strategy training for addressing social and emotional as well as academic aspects of learning problems
• Forming supportive relationships with the individual and with those involved in his/her educational development
• Facilitating communication between the individual, the family, the school, and involved professionals
  

Techniques of Educational Therapy I and II will be offered in an intensive 2-weekend format, allowing for independent and reflective study between class sessions.

Admission Requirements
Students must apply and be accepted prior to enrolling in any coursework. Applications may be submitted on a rolling basis throughout the year. However, some courses must be taken in a specific order, so we recommend beginning the program in the summer or fall semesters. Applicants must already have completed a graduate degree in education, with a background in special education, psychology, counseling, expressive therapies, speech and language, or other related fields.
Prerequisite: a 3 credit graduate level course in Human Development across the life span or it’s equivalent. At Curry, this is MED 3050.

Admission Procedure
Applicants must complete and submit the following items to the Graduate Studies Office:

1. Application Form (PDF)
2. $50.00 non-refundable application fee. (Make check or money order payable to Curry College)
3. Official Transcripts from previous institutions (graduate and undergraduate). The graduate transcript must indicate proof of master’s degree
4. Current resume
5. Two letters of recommendation
6. Schedule an interview with the Program Coordinator by calling the Graduate Studies Office at 617-333-2243

Academic Policies
Students pursuing the GC/ET program are not eligible for Federal Financial Aid, but may consult with the Curry College Office of Student Financial Services about alternative, low interest loan programs.  International students must pursue additional paperwork to gain entry into the program. Please consult with the Graduate Studies Office.

Applicants are permitted to transfer in up to 6 graduate credits from a regionally accredited institution to cover two of the following three courses:

MED 6350 Assessment and Intervention in Reading
MED 5922 Learning Disabilities Across the Lifespan
MED 6430 Psycho-educational Assessment and Planning for Special Needs Students

Students who have already earned an M.Ed. from Curry College might have taken all three of these courses, in which case two will contribute to the GC/ET course requirements and the third would be waived but replaced by another elective course.  Students with transfer credit thus must complete at least 14 credits to attain the 20-credit certificate.  The Certificate is awarded upon successful completion (minimum grade of B-, and overall G.P.A. of 3.0) of 20 semester credits consisting of seven required courses.