Learning Disabilities Teacher-Consultant (LDT-C)

The Learning Disabilities Teacher-Consultant (LDT-C) master’s and endorsement programs prepare teachers to specialize in assessing students with special needs and serve as learning consultants on child study teams.

A main focus of the program is collaboration with teachers, support personnel, administrators, and families. The program is unique because it allows a full-time teacher to maintain their current position as an educator while pursuing this area of study in educational services. While our program is not fully online, courses are delivered through a combination of online, hybrid and weekly on campus sessions.

Field experiences tailored to meet your professional goals are provided in K-12 settings under the supervision of a certified LDT-C mentor.

Upon completion, you must provide documentation evidencing completion of three years of successful teaching experience under a Standard NJ or out-of-state instructional certificate to be eligible for the endorsement. Of note, the LDT-C program is aligned to the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) national standards and CEC Advanced Specialty Set: Educational Diagnostician Specialist standards.

Master’s Track

The master’s track is designed for licensed teachers who have a depth of teaching experiences and who;

Wish to be involved with Child Study Teams as they interact with students with disabilities.
Develop and understanding of federal (IDEA) and state (NJEA 6a:14) special education law and parental rights in education.
Foster understanding of evidence-based practices related to learning disabilities, classroom-based instruction, and progress monitoring.
Develop knowledge about Multi-Tiered Systems of Support/NJTSS and Response to Intervention (RTI) practices.
Develop skills applicable to supporting teachers’ classroom-based instructions through knowledge of evidence-based practices for academic progress.
Enhance knowledge of developing SMART goals/objectives as part of Individualized Education Plan (IEP) development.
Learn how to effectively and thoroughly assess a students’ strengths and weaknesses, interpret assessment results, and make appropriate recommendations related to programming, evidence-based interventions, and accommodations/modifications based on your findings.
Develop a diverse repertoire of assessment tools to effectively evaluate students for special education and related services.
Collaborate with students, teachers, families, administrators, and other support personnel to develop IEPs.

Endorsement Track

The in-depth post-master’s endorsement allows you to serve as a Learning Disabilities Teacher Consultant on child study teams and leads to NJ LDT-C certification.