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Certification Procedures
by Kathy Hopkins, Ed.D., NILD Executive Director & Betty Dahm, Program Support Coordinator

cer-ti-fy 1. to declare a thing true, accurate, etc. by formal statement 2. to guarantee; vouch for 3. to issue a certificate to

This is how Webster’s New World Dictionary would describe what NILD does when recognizing educational therapists who have reached a significant level of professional development. We will use these definitions in examining the certification process.

1. When granting certification, NILD is declaring that an educational therapist’s training has been accurate and true to the program’s distinctives. Each NILD instructor is held to high standards of continuing education. Their effectiveness as an instructor is evaluated each year by course participants, the instructor’s peers, and the NILD executive staff. The goal is an exceptional learning experience based upon sound theory, practical advice and ongoing professional support. The courses conclude with an extensive evaluation of each participant’s competency, and these evaluations become the first entry in an educational therapist’s professional file in the NILD offices.

2. Educational therapists applying for certification must successfully complete all three levels of NILD training. They must hold current NILD membership. They must have at least three years of educational therapy experience with a minimum of 400 student contact hours. They must exhibit an ongoing commitment to professional development by attending at least two regional conferences in the three years prior to application. And, very importantly, the educational therapy they are giving after successfully completing Level II training must be observed by a member of the NILD instructional team in an on-site evaluation. In this way, NILD is able to vouch for the soundness and accuracy of the end product.

3. Upon successful completion of all application requirements, the NILD Board, Executive Director and Instructors award the educational therapist a certificate of achievement. Certificates are mailed as soon as they are issued, and certifications are anounced at NILD regional conferences. Certification runs for one five year school period (September through August). Training for NILD Standard Certification will take three years minimum, six years maximum.

• Year 1 - Level I
• Year 2,3 or 4 - Level II (on-site follows Level II)
• Year 3, 4, 5 or 6 - Level III

After holding standard certification for 5 years, our educational therapists are eligible for 7-year Professional Certification, awarded upon fulfillment of all Professional Certification requirements. Professional Certification is a true pinnacle of achievement in the organization.

Certification requirements are stringent; thus certification is recognized and respected by educational therapists, administrators and parents alike. In a real sense, educational therapists who earn NILD certification demonstrate our core values of integrity, innovation and synergy. They show integrity by maintaining high professional standards and commitment to the student. They choose to be innovative by being part of an organization that knows mere compensation for learning disabilities will never do justice to a struggling student. And they exhibit synergy, the combined, cooperative action which proves that much more can be accomplished as we work together.

We invite all educational therapists to work toward achieving and maintaining certification. It is a fitting and meaningful way to recognize your professionalism and commitment to excellence.