Connecting Clinical Dyslexia Training With College of Education and Health Professions Coursework

A successful partnership with the Nelms Dyslexia Center in Arkansas has led the College of Education and Health Professions to expand opportunities for its graduate degree pathway for aspiring Certified Academic Language Therapist professionals to Oklahoma.

Educators and other degreed professionals who are working toward a CALT credential at Nelms — and now the Payne Education Center in Oklahoma — can earn a master's degree in special education or educational specialist from the college at the same time. CALTs, who are highly specialized in dyslexia and related learning differences, are in high demand to support K-12 students.

The CALT program connects clinical training with university coursework. Graduate students can apply supervised clinical experience and prior preparation toward academic credit, creating a more efficient and affordable path that builds on work they have already completed.

Dianne Trujillo, a second-grade educator in her third year of teaching, is among the students benefiting from the partnership. While training at Nelms, she is also taking two U of A courses: Applied Behavior Analysis & Classroom Management and the Dyslexia Practicum. The arrangement allows her to use her CALT clinical work to fulfill course requirements for a special education master's degree, making both programs more manageable and relevant to her classroom practice. 

"The partnership between Nelms and the U of A has allowed me to build on work I was already doing rather than duplicating it," Trujillo said. "It has given me the education, experience and encouragement to become a more effective teacher and to pursue a master's degree and CALT certification that I might not have otherwise considered."

Audrey Longing, a CALT-in-training working part-time at Nelms, said the program has strengthened both her professional goals and her commitment to supporting students with dyslexia. Longing's own experience with dyslexia inspired her to become an advocate for other children. 

"My experience has shown me the value of having an advocate, and I desire to be that for someone like me," Longing said. "Children and their families need assurance that even though their brains work differently, there are no limits to what they can achieve."

The success of the Nelms collaboration led the university to pursue a similar partnership with the Payne Education Center in Oklahoma in 2025. Founded in 1984 by parents of children with dyslexia and other reading disabilities, Payne now trains educators in specialized reading instruction. Like Nelms, the center emphasizes the science of reading and prepares educators to work with students who have dyslexia and related reading difficulties.

Together, the partnerships expand the college's reach while creating new pathways for graduate students and practicing educators.

Renee Speight, assistant professor of special education, said the Payne partnership is similar to the Nelms collaboration because both are grounded in a shared commitment to supporting dyslexia practitioners. She said the goal is to recognize the significant professional preparation many students have already completed and help them apply it toward advanced study.

"Providing an opportunity for that prior learning to be recognized for academic credit acknowledges the rigor of their preparation while creating a more efficient pathway toward degree completion," Speight said. "It also allows practitioners to build on their specialized knowledge through advanced study in special education."

Heather Johnson, with the Payne Education Center, said the partnership with the U of A helps graduate students and teachers access high-level training and degree pathways that can help ensure that students with reading difficulties receive the support they need.

"The aim of the partnership is to ensure that teachers are so well trained and prepared that no child falls through the cracks," Johnson said.