Professional Development
NILD Educational Therapy: Level 1 Training
*Certified by the National Institute for Learning Development (NILD)
Many students with learning differences – such as dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, and others – require additional support in the classroom to address the root causes of their learning challenges. By working with an NILD Educational Therapist, students develop significantly higher cognitive, academic, perceptual, and emotional functioning to become confident competent learners.
Educators learn how to identify and assess students’ learning needs as well as create and implement individual educational therapy plans utilizing the NILD techniques specific to each child’s profile.
Current Course
Summer 2023
- Online Learning – 4 weeks of asynchronous coursework starting on Monday, May 29, 2023 (approximately 15-20 hours/week)
- In-person Residency Week at Fraser Academy, 2294 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver, BC – June 26-30, 2023 (Monday to Thursday, 8:00am to 5:00pm; Friday, 8:00am to 12:00pm)
Upcoming NILD Level 1 Training Course
Summer 2024
- Online Learning – 4 weeks of asynchronous coursework starting on Monday, May 27, 2024 (approximately 15-20 hours/week)
- In-person Residency Week at Fraser Academy, 2294 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver, BC – June 24-28, 2024 (Monday to Thursday, 8:00am to 5:00pm; Friday, 8:00am to 12:00pm)
The NILD Level 1 Course is followed by 9 months of mentorship through 10 job-embedded coaching sessions to solidify understanding and achieve Level 1 Certification.
Application deadline is May 1, 2024.
About NILD Level 1 Training
NILD is an Educational Therapy System that focuses on the whole child: cognition, perception, academics, and emotions.
The NILD Level I course provides an introduction to NILD Educational Therapy® techniques and includes mediated learning and questioning skills.
This course consists of four weeks of online asynchronous coursework followed by one week of in-person classroom instruction (residency).
Participants are then mentored through 10 job-embedded coaching sessions to further solidify their understanding and comfort with the NILD program and techniques.
This course is hosted through NILD’s learning management system.
Upon successful completion of this course, participants will be able to:
- Demonstrate an understanding of NILD philosophy and methodology
- Describe NILD’s comprehensive approach that develops learning through perception, academics, cognition and emotions
- Explain the differences between NILD methodology and tutoring
- Understand how reading, math and spelling can be impacted by improving cognitive functioning
- Identify learning challenges and apply specific tools to develop and enhance thinking skills
- Design an educational therapy program according to the strengths and vulnerabilities determined by assessment
- Implement an effective intervention program based on the NILD techniques
- Learn how to assess students annually
- Become equipped to develop children’s literacy skills in the areas of phonemic awareness, phonics and syllabication
Upon successful completion of this course, participants will become a licensed NILD intern Educational Therapist, and be permitted to work with students. Throughout the next 9 months, they will engage in 10 mandatory, job-embedded, coaching sessions (approximately 1/month). Participants will need to complete 100 student contact hours prior to moving on to Level II.
NILD Level I, II, and III courses lead to credentials as an NILD Professionally Certified Educational Therapist (PCET).
NILD Level 1 can be taken as a graduate-level course. Should they be interested, participants will have the option to apply retroactively for graduate level credits from Regent University.
What happens after I have completed my Level I course?
If you complete the course successfully, you will be considered an Intern Educational Therapist and will engage in nine months of job-embedded coaching. There will be monthly coaching sessions at which your attendance is required. You will be permitted to work with students and will need to complete 100 student contact hours prior to moving on to Level II.
What happens after I have completed my Level II course?
If you complete the course successfully, you will be considered an Intern Educational Therapist. You will be permitted to work with students and will need to complete 100 student contact hours prior to moving on to Level III.
What happens after I complete my Level III course?
Once you successfully complete level III, you will be considered a full NILD Educational Therapist. You will be invited to certify as a Professionally Certified Educational Therapist (PCET). There are two letters of recommendation required and a $50 fee to attain this certification.
Do I have to maintain licensure from year to year? What about my PCET certificate?
Yes. NILD is a professional training and licensing organization. To protect the efficacy of NILD techniques and ensure that all students worldwide are receiving a consistent and high-quality experience, all therapists must maintain a current license from year to year. This applies to Standard Licensure (for intern and full educational therapists) and PCETs.
I was working with a child with dyslexia at the beginning of his Grade 11 year who could barely read. After one school year, he gained more than seven grade levels in his writing and written expression skills!
NILD TherapistAbout NILD (National Institute for Learning Development)
NILD has been a leader in developing innovative educational therapies for nearly five decades – training over 10,000 educators and helping over 100,000 students succeed in the classroom and life during that time. NILD is an Educational Therapy system that focuses on the whole child: cognition, perception, academics, and emotions.
About the Instructor
Melanie Davda, MEd, PCET, DT
Melanie Davda joined Fraser Academy in 2013, following 7 years at VSB public schools. She holds a Masters of Education specializing in educational therapy, and is certified as both an Educational Therapist and a Dyslexia Therapist. Melanie currently oversees Educational Therapy and Consulting at FAx, Fraser Academy’s Outreach Centre, and is an Instructor of NILD Educational Therapy. With a passion for making learning and literacy accessible to all children, Melanie helps students become confident and competent learners and helps families to advocate for their child’s learning needs. She also provides professional development that empowers educators to support struggling learners and Level B Psychometric Assessments for students.
I have a student who really struggles with communication and self-advocacy. Because NILD therapy is dialogue-based and lets the child take the lead when it comes to communication, she has come out of her shell so much. She's now able to communicate effectively with her teachers.
NILD TherapistHow to Apply
- Bachelor’s degree, preferably in education or related field.
Course Cost: $3880 (including materials, mentorship, and 1st year registration with NILD as an intern Educational Therapist)
Payment: You have the option of paying the full course cost at time of registration, or paying in instalments. Paid instalments would include four payments split evenly over the course of a year. If you are interested in paying in instalments, please contact ProD@fraseracademy.ca at the time of registration.
- Interac e-transfer to the email address accountspayable@fraseracademy.ca (no security answer is necessary).
- Credit card at request.plastiq.com/pay-fraser-academy1 (this option incurs a 2.4% administration fee charged by Plastiq).
- Online banking with BMO, HSBC, Scotiabank, or any credit union by setting Fraser Academy Association as the payee and using your first name and last initial (in upper-case letters and without space) as the account number.
If you have any questions, please email ProD@fraseracademy.ca.