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Kathy Futterman, program coordinator for CSUEB91麻豆天美app Educational Therapy Certificate Program

• February 22, 2013

• By Erin Merdinger

Cal State East Bay is launching a new Educational Therapy Certificate Program to begin this fall. Offered through the university’s Division of Continuing and International Education, the two-year program is designed to provide a post-master’s opportunity for professionals in the field of education looking to effectively address the needs of students with identified or suspected learning difficulties.    

“It is essential to keep training educators above and beyond their initial credential,” said Kathy Futterman, program coordinator for CSUEB’s Educational Therapy Certificate Program. “The Ed Therapy certificate will provide professionals in the field of education with a unique educational experience –– both theoretical and practical.”   

Students in the program will learn to administer and interpret formal and informal assessments, deliver individualized instruction and advocate for students with learning disabilities or significant learning issues, such as dyslexia and attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). As an educational therapist, graduates will work with students of all ages in settings including schools, clinics, private practices, hospitals, learning centers, public agencies, colleges, universities and vocational schools.

Organized using a cohort approach, in which a group of students start and finish a program together, classes will be offered at CSUEB’s Concord campus and scheduled in the late afternoon, early evening and an occasional Saturday morning.

“We decided on a cohort format to allow for each course to build upon previous coursework in addition to giving the candidates a group of colleagues with whom they can continually collaborate with,” explained Futterman.

Each group of students will take classes ranging from “Learning Differences and Disabilities,” which examines common difficulties in the areas of oral language, reading, written expression, mathematics and study skills, to courses that provide hands-on training and experience working directly with students and their families.

“It’s a professional training model so we are training professionals. They need to be able to apply what they learn,” said Jack Davis, chair of CSUEB’s Educational Psychology department.

One of the ways program instructors plan on providing hands-on experience to students is through a clinic component, which will start in fall 2014, the second year of coursework. The clinic will operate on the Concord campus and provide a place for parents to bring kids for low-fee intervention services, assessments and screenings, Davis said.

“I truly hope that candidates will walk away from this program feeling very confident about their ability to identify a variety of learning disorders, being able to speak about a student's individual learning profile, know when and how to make referrals to other professionals and work together to provide the best possible services for each student,” said Futterman.

Applications for the educational therapy program are currently being accepted for fall quarter on a rolling admission basis through May 2013.

Find more information or apply to CSUEB’s