ET/Professional membership is the next step for Associate ETs. Once approved at the Associate ET level, members may immediately begin the upgrade process by submitting an ET/Professional application form. Dues remain at $225 per year, and there is no additional application fee.
What is required for ET/Professional membership?
ET/Professional membership benefits include:
- Use of copyrighted symbol ET/P
- Access to the member area of the website and to the archived Journals and articles
- Access to AET Study Groups
- A subscription to The Educational Therapists Journal
- An electronic copy of the AET Professional Directory
- Listing in the AET Professional Directory
- Listing in the AET Referral Directory
- Option of a hyperlink from the Referral Directory and Professional Directory to a personal web page
- Professional level discounts to AET events, including workshops and conferences
- Member prices at the AET store
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.
Application Forms
Download the Associate Educational Therapist application Form
ET/Professional application form
Direct Service Hours
To make the transition from Associate ET to ET/Professional, AET requires a minimum of 1500 direct service hours with clients completed within the past ten years. Associate ETs are not expected to have completed their full quota of service hours when beginning the process of upgrading to ET/Professional 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).
BCET Supervision/Mentorship
All Associate ET members pursuing ET/Professional status are assigned formal supervised/mentored hours. Upon application for ET/P, the direct service accrued to date will be used in conjunction with information in the résumé to determine the number of BCET supervised/mentored hours to be assigned. Depending upon the level of individual experience, up to 50 hours will be required. These mentored hours must be associated with concurrent direct service with clients and/or related tasks assigned by the BCET supervisor/mentor. The hours are calculated on a 1:10 ratio, meaning one hour of supervision/mentorship for every 10 hours of concurrent direct service with clients and/or related tasks assigned by the BCET supervisor/mentor (also called practicum hours).
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 ET/Professional, you may download and submit an ET/Professional 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 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 ET/P status.
