Therapy-level preparation in dyslexia and academic language therapy requires extensive knowledge of the structure of language, reading development, and the processes that support skilled reading and written expression.
Phonology
Morphology
Language structure
Written expression
Orthography
Syntax
Reading development
Dyslexia and learner profiles
This foundation supports increasingly precise interpretation of student performance and instructional need across varied learner profiles.
MLTI’s instructional framework emphasizes explicit, systematic, cumulative, multisensory, and diagnostic teaching practices grounded in structured literacy principles.
As trainees move through supervised practicum and guided clinical application, the focus expands beyond instructional procedures alone toward increasingly responsive instructional decision-making based on student performance, progression, and learning need.
Throughout the pathway, trainees refine their practice through:
Supervised practicum
Observation and feedback
Clinical mentorship
Guided lesson planning
Reflective practice
Ongoing instructional refinement
This process supports the gradual development of increasingly consistent, independent, and clinically responsive practice over time.
Sounds In Syllables was developed by Sandra Dillon through years of clinical work with students whose dyslexia significantly impacted reading and written language development.
Within MLTI, the materials are integrated into supervised clinical preparation and support the broader instructional principles, standards of practice, and therapy-level framework guiding increasingly responsive dyslexia intervention.
Rather than functioning as a standalone curriculum model, the materials are used within a process of guided clinical application, instructional responsiveness, and ongoing mentorship over time.
MLTI is an IMSLEC-accredited training institute, with IMSLEC holding International Dyslexia Association (IDA) Accreditation PLUS at the Teacher and Therapy Levels. MLTI’s training pathway is aligned with recognized standards for therapy-level preparation in dyslexia intervention and academic language therapy.
The pathway supports progression toward professional credentialing through the Academic Language Therapy Association (ALTA), including the Certified Academic Language Practitioner (CALP) and Certified Academic Language Therapist (CALT) credentials.
Academic language language therapists bring deep knowledge of language, literacy development, dyslexia, and assessment to their clinical work. MLTI-NM trainees develop increasingly nuanced understanding of the structure of language, including phonology, orthography, morphology, and syntax, as well as reading development, oral anguage, fluency, comprehension, written expression, and dyslexia and related learning profiles. They also learn to interpret assessment data and student performance to guide diagnostic and prescriptive teaching and make precise instructional decisions based on individual learner needs.
MLTI’s instructional framework emphasizes explicit, systematic, cumulative, and multisensory teaching grounded in the principles of Structured Literacy and multisensory language education. Instruction is diagnostic and prescriptive, with teaching decisions continually informed by student performance and response. The framework also draws on the evolving Science of Reading to integrate current research with established principles of effective dyslexia intervention.
The framework aligns with IMSLEC’s accreditation and IDA-approved standards and supports progression toward the CALP and CALT credentials through the Academic Language Therapy (ALTA). These credentials also aligned with corresponding Structured Literacy certifications through the Center for Effective Reading Instruction (CERI), including the Certified Structured Literacy Dyslexia Interventionist (C-SLDI) and Certified Structured Literacy Dyslexia Specialist (C-SLDS) credentials.
Together, these credentialing frameworks reflect more than completed coursework. They recognize progression from professional knowledge and into supervised clinical application and increasingly advanced expertise in dyslexia intervention.
