Educational Therapist Membership Steps:
The ET/P® Membership is the next step for Associate Educational Therapists.
- Newly approved Associate Educational Therapists may immediately begin meeting the Direct Service Hour and Supervision requirements for Educational Therapist/Professional (ET/P®) membership.
- Educational Therapists/Professional (ET/P®) members are considered full professional members qualified to practice interdependently.
- Dues remain at $225 per year; but there is no additional application fee.
- As an ET/P® member, you are required to complete 10 hours (not units) of continuing education annually.
Benefits of an ET/P® Membership
- 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
- Use of registered service mark ET/P®
- Access to professional liability insurance
Requirements for an ET/P® Membership
- Gain approval as an Associate Educational Therapist member.
- Submit an Educational Therapist/Professional (ET/P®) Application.
- Document and verify 1,500 Direct Service Hours completed within the past 10 years.
- Complete formal Supervision with a BCET®.
- As an ET/P® member, you must complete 10 hours (not units) of continuing education annually. Click here to find AET's continuing education guidelines.
ET/P® applicants must meet all academic qualifications required for Associate status, hold current Associate membership, and submit documentation of 1,500 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
If an applicant has a Master’s degree in a field not covered above, the Membership Committee will verify that:
- The applicant’s training qualifies them to purchase and administer B Level assessments.
- The applicant will sign a statement attesting that they meet these criteria.
- The applicant has taken a course that includes research design, methodology, data collection techniques, statistical analysis, and ethical considerations or has authored research published in a peer-reviewed journal.
NOTE: Your Application Form WILL NOT be processed unless the payment fields are filled out in the PDF. Please DO NOT submit your application with this section blank.
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"Direct Service Hours" Details and FAQs
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To make the transition from Associate Educational Therapist to Educational Therapist/Professional (ET/P®), AET requires a minimum of 1,500 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 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 that meet the above criteria
- Direct service completed as part of supervision.
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. Practicum hours completed during supervision may be applied to the overall 1,500-hour requirement as needed.
Can I teach or tutor while I am assigned to work with a supervisor?Yes. You must have at least one client in a private caseload to gain from the supervisor 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?The frequency of consultations and duration of the supervision 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?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?You may make arrangements with a BCET® of your choice to provide supervision based on 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, but it will be your responsibility to follow through with the arrangements.
Am I responsible for a consultation fee for my supervisor?Yes. The consultation fee is mutually decided upon as part of the supervision 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 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 process?After you have notified the supervision committee of your BCET® arrangements, you and your supervisor will receive official notifications of your assigned supervision 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 process?Once you have completed your assigned supervised 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 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.
For specific questions not answered here, contact the AET Membership Department at 414-908-4949 x 130 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..