Educational Therapist/Professional (ET/P) Membership

• Next step for Associate Educational Therapists.
• Newly approved Associate Educational Therapists may immediately begin meeting the Direct Service Hour and Supervision/Mentorship requirements for Educational Therapist/Professional (ET/P) membership.
• Educational Therapists/Professional (ET/P) members are considered full professional members qualified to practice independantly.
• Dues remain at $225 per year; no additional application fee.
• As an ET/P member, you are required to complete 10 hours (not units) of continuing education annually.  

ET/Professional membership benefits include:

• Use of registered service mark ET/P

Access to professional liability insurance

• 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 ET/Professional membership?

• Gain approval as an Associate Educational Therapist member.
• Submit an Educational Therapist/Professional (ET/P) Application.
• Document and verify 1500 Direct Service Hours completed within the past 10 years.
• Complete a formal Supervision/Mentorship with a BCET. 
• As an ET/P 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.

 ET/P applicants must meet all academic qualifications required for Associate status, hold current Associate membership and submit documentation of 1500 direct service hours.  Beginning July 1, 2023, ET/P membership applicants must hold one of the following::

• A Master’s degree in educational therapy, special education, or general education
• A Master’s in a discipline that focuses on human development, has a clinical training component, focuses on an individual’s strengths and needs, and meets AET’s academic requirements
• A Master’s or a terminal degree related to the intended focus of educational therapy practice

Direct Service Hours

To make the transition from Associate Educational Therapist to Educational Therapist/Professional (ET/P), AET requires a minimum of 1500 direct service hours with clients completed within the past ten years. Associate Educational Therapists are not expected to have completed their full quota of service hours when beginning the process of upgrading to Educational Therapist/Professional (ET/P) membership, but they should substantiate those hours accrued to date to give the committee a complete picture of their background and experience. These may include fieldwork or practicum hours required in a higher education program, in the practice of educational therapy, or in a closely related discipline (e.g. special education).

What constitutes Direct Service Hours?

Direct service is the time spent with an individual student or client. Qualifying direct service activities include:

• Individual sessions of remediation or teaching. (Note: this does NOT include time spent on preparation or review of records.)
• Individual sessions of assessment. (Note: this does NOT include time spent on report preparation.)
• Classroom observations on behalf of a client or student when you are the special education provider or are the private provider.
• Parent conferences and/or attendance at IEP meetings on behalf of a client or student when you are the special education provider or are the private provider.
• Consultations with allied professionals on behalf of a client or student when you are the special education provider or are the private provider.
• Fieldwork or practicum hours from higher education and/or credential programs which meet the above criteria
• Direct service completed as part of supervision/mentorship.

How do I document Direct Service Hours?
Submit signed letters of verification from work site administrators, supervisors, and professional colleagues. (Direct Service Hours Template)

Who reviews my Direct Service Hours?
The membership committee will review your Associate ET application and direct service hour verifications to assess the number of direct service hours completed and the number of additional direct service hours needed.

What happens if I need additional Direct Service Hours?
If additional hours of clinical teaching from an educational therapy perspective are required based on your background experience, you will be advised as to the specific types of activities you are engaged in that will fulfill this requirement. You may complete these remaining hours during your BCET supervision/mentorship. Practicum hours completed during supervision/mentorship may be applied to the overall 1500 hour requirement as needed.

What is the difference between a supervisor and a mentor?
The supervisor or mentor will be a Board Certified Educational Therapist who has met the highest level of membership within AET. Whether you are assigned to work with a supervisor or a mentor reflects your level of background experience. A supervisor is assigned to those who are new to the profession of educational therapy. A mentor is assigned to those who have extensive special education experience.

Can I teach or tutor while I am assigned to work with a supervisor/mentor?
Yes. You must have at least one client in a private caseload in order to gain from the supervisor/mentor experience. You may work full time in a salaried position, yet work with individual students after school.

How often do I meet with the supervisor/mentor?
The frequency of consultations and duration of the supervision/mentorship process will be agreed upon by the parties involved. Sufficient time between consultations must be allowed to complete required concurrent direct service and related assignments.

What is the goal of supervision/mentorship?
The goal is for you to have an experienced and trusted advisor to provide guidance and feedback on the treatment alliance within the educational therapy clinical model. Once successfully completed, you may enter or continue to pursue the profession of educational therapy with a solid foundation of the theoretical implications and practical applications from AET’s educational therapy perspective, while following the AET Code of Ethics.

May I choose the Board Certified Educational Therapist who will provide supervision/mentorship?
You may make arrangements with a BCET of your choice to provide supervision or mentorship based upon your personal knowledge or suggestions provided by the membership committee. Should you live in an area where BCETs are not available, the membership committee will assist in making contact with a potential long-distance supervisor/mentor, but it will your responsibility to follow through with the arrangements.

Am I responsible for a consultation fee for my supervisor/mentor?
Yes. The consultation fee is mutually decided upon as part of the supervision/mentorship agreement. The number of consultation sessions will depend on the 1:10 ratio of hours assigned. Please note that some supervisors may charge a discounted rate. The fees are sometimes negotiable.

How do I initiate the supervision/mentorship process?
When you are ready to begin the process of becoming an Educational Therapist/Professional (ET/P), you may download and submit an Educational Therapist/Professional (ET/P) application, which will be forwarded to the Supervision Subcommittee. The Supervision Chair will contact you; provide you with a supervision packet (Part I: Supervision Guidelines and Required Documents, Part II: Supervision Supplemental Documents and Resources, and Part III: Supervision Reading and Resource List); review your background experience and direct service hours; assign the hours required for your supervision; and, if needed, assist you in making contact with a BCET Supervisor.

When may I begin the supervision/mentorship process?
After you have notified the supervision committee of your BCET arrangements, you and your supervisor/mentor will receive official notifications of your assigned supervision/mentorship hours and any remaining direct service hours needed, at which point the supervision may begin. Supervision begun before official notification does not count toward the Educational Therapist/Professional (ET/P) upgrade.

How do I complete the supervision/mentorship process?
Once you have completed your assigned supervised/mentored hours and any remaining direct service hours, you must complete the required documents in Part I of the supervision packet verified by both the supervisor/mentor and the supervisee. These documents must be submitted electronically to both the AET office and to the Supervision Committee. You will then be notified of your new Educational Therapist/Professional (ET/P) status.