Associate ET Membership

• First step on the pathway of AET's Professional membership track.
• Open to individuals who have met AET's basic professional academic requirements.
• Associate ET membership is a interim, required step toward ET/Professional membership.
• Dues $225 per year plus a one-time application processing fee of $35.00.
• As an Associate member, you are required to complete 10 hours (not units) of continuing education annually. Click here to find AET's continuing education guidelines and online log.

Associate ET membership benefits include:

• Listing in the AET Referral Directory
• Link from the Referral Directory to your personal website or blog.
• Discounts to AET events.
• Professional networking and support
• The Educational Therapist Journal
• Local and Virtual Study Groups
• Access to the Members’ Center on the AET website
• Free or discounted webinars

What is required for Associate ET membership?

• Complete Academic Requirements
• Submit Associate ET Application
• Provide current Résumé
• Collect two Reference Letters
• Submit copies of Transcripts
• Pay Application Fee and Dues

Choose an option below: 

How do I submit my application? | Academic Requirements

How do I submit my application?

• Associate ET Application: Download and complete the application.
• Supporting documentation:
  • Academic Worksheet: Fill out the worksheet included with the application so that every course requirement is identified clearly. This is the most critical part of the Associate ET application process. It is possible to become an Associate ET member without having taken all of the required classes, but extensive documentation of work experience and acquired field competency is required to be approved by the Flex Committee. For more information about the academic requirements, see the course descriptions.
  • Résumé: Provide a current résumé.
  • Reference Letters: Using the Reference Letter Form, submit references from two people who know you in a professional capacity. The form may be sent as an email attachment directly to the referrer or may be provided as a hard copy. References should be returned to you to be submitted with the rest of your application. If preferred, the reference letters may be returned to you in a sealed envelope to maintain confidentiality.
  • Transcripts: Obtain copies of OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS that verify completion of the coursework requirements. Unofficial transcripts cannot be used to approve your membership. Please make sure your transcripts are legible, as some transcripts reproduce badly and are difficult to read. If your transcripts do not copy or scan cleanly please mail originals or order a set of originals to be sent from the issuing school.
  • Application Fee: The $35.00 application fee is due when you submit your application.
• Application Submission: Collect and send all components of the Associate ET application by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (preferred method) or by regular mail to AET Membership Dept., 7044 S 13th Street, Oak Creek WI 53154. Make sure documents are legible and not stapled together (when sending by regular mail).
  • All parts of the application must be submitted at one time in order to avoid delays in processing.
  • AET reserves the right to request further information about the applicant’s proficiency in the language in which his or her practice is conducted, should questions arise during the application process.
• Review of Application: Documents will be reviewed by the Membership Committee. It generally takes four to six weeks for the applications to be processed.
• Payment: Associate ET membership is $225.00 per year. Student members receive a one-time discounted rate of $100.00 for their first year as Associate ET members. Dues must be paid upon approval of your application.

Academic Requirements

The following course descriptions are to assist you in determining which classes can be used to fulfill specific requirements.

Curriculum, Methods, and Remediation Techniques Relating to Individuals with Reading and Learning Differences - Three courses, 3 units each

Course Requirements

These courses must include program planning, remediation techniques, adaptation of curriculum, and program evaluation. One course must specifically address the identification and remediation of reading disorders and include a multi-sensorial technique or program for remediation. This reading remediation course cannot be counted towards the General Reading requirement. Examples of course titles may include:

• Diagnosis and Remediation of Reading Disabilities
• Reading Disabilities
• Reading for the Special Needs Child
• Adapting Reading Strategies for the Special Needs Child
• Remediation of Reading Disabilities
• Correcting Reading Disabilities
• Math Instruction for Special Needs Students
• Strategies for Remediation of Reading Disabilities
• Orton-Gillingham*
• Lindamood-Bell LiPS*
• Slingerland*
• Wilson Reading System*
• Language!*
• Technology Strategies for Special Needs Classes
• Adaptation of (curriculum area) in Special Education
• Language Learning – Language Instruction In Special Education

*Activities with asterisks are specific programs that are taught in workshops as opposed to semester-long classroom courses. To fill one of the three Remedial Curriculum requirements, the applicant may combine workshops to add up to 40 hours.

Assessment of Individuals with Reading & Learning Differences - Two courses, 3 units each

Course Requirements

The courses must cover the foundations of formal (standardized) and informal test development, administration, and interpretation. These courses are usually presented sequentially, beginning with a basic course and followed with an advanced and/or practicum course. Examples of course titles may include:

• Assessment in Special Education
• Tests and Measurement in Special Education
• Foundations in Educational Assessment
• Assessing the Special Needs Child
• Woodcock-Johnson Test Administration and Interpretation

Human Learning - One course, 3 units

Course Requirements

This type of course focuses specifically on the learning process, meaning how we learn. It can include the psychological and emotional aspects of learning as well as such things as information processing, and social impacts. Piaget's perspective is often covered in a course such as this. Examples of course titles may include:

• Human Learning
• Cognitive and Psychological Development
• Human Development and Learning
• Psychology of Learning
• Educational Psychology (focused on Learning)
• How Children Learn/Develop

Overview of Special Education - One course, 3 units

Course Requirements

This course must cover the characteristics of children categorized as having learning differences such as being gifted, mentally retarded, emotionally disturbed, or neurologically impaired. Sensory and motor disturbances and speech and language impairments are included. The course must also incorporate information regarding federal laws for individuals with special needs. Examples of course titles may include:

• The Exceptional Child
• Mainstreaming the Exceptional Child
• Overview of the Child with Special Needs
• Introduction to Special Education

Psychoeducational Interventions Combining Educational and Psychological Techniques- One course, 3 units

Course Requirements

This requirement in particular does not need to be met with an actual class, but can be experience related

This area is typically fulfilled by an applicant’s practicum experience. Documentation should include counseling techniques for working with the family, school, and student, which help support the student’s learning. Documentation (such as supervisor’s notes, practicum or field work requirements, and/or coursework) should demonstrate that supervised experience was obtained in working with schools, families and allied professionals. Some examples of courses in this area are titled:

• Working with Parents of Special Needs Children
• Counseling Techniques in Special Education
• Special Education Child and Family
• Behavioral Strategies in Special Education
• Guidance of the Special Needs Child and Family
• Advocacy in Special Education

General Reading—One course, 3 units

Course Requirements

This course must be related to teaching general reading, not reading remediation, and must include phonological skills.

Child/Adolescent (Human) Development—One course, 3 units

Course Requirements

This course is broader than Human Learning, and typically involves the physical, cognitive, emotional, and psychological stages of development from birth to adulthood. Examples of course titles may included

• Human Development
• Child Development
• Adolescent Development