Review: Certified Dyslexia Trainer program
Signing up was very easy, and communication with the office was generally quick and straightforward — questions were always answered well. The materials aren't always neatly organized; I sometimes wished for more structure within individual chapters. In terms of content, I find the dyslexia certification better prepared than the dyscalculia one. The practical presentation in the dyscalculia advanced program is detailed but not always easy to follow — I would have liked more insight into analyzing possible errors. That was definitely better executed and clearer in the dyslexia section. My training as a speech therapist made it much easier for me to grasp the content overall. The grading and corrections were surprisingly fast, and the diploma looks great. Despite the small criticisms, I feel confident in my work as a trainer and have already achieved good results with my kids.
Independent progress
The materials are clear and you can schedule your own time. If you don't understand something, you can email your question and you get an answer. If you pay the annual membership, you can take additional continuing education courses. The available resources are extensive and easy to access.
Program review
The great thing is that you can schedule your own time. That way you have enough time to fit in the practical sessions. You can also ask questions any time when something is unclear, and the responses come quickly and are workable. Since I have a regular job, not having to commute is a big plus. Excellent!
Very informative program
I like the AFS method because it's so systematic and well structured. During the course I gained a lot of new knowledge about dyslexia.
Very good training — not enough practical preparation
I'm very satisfied with what the program offers. The updates to the AFS test are clearly laid out. You're regularly kept informed about current continuing-education events and training materials. My one criticism — which cost a star in my rating — is that I felt very alone when it came to designing the practice sessions. Just taking part in a single training session brings nothing. Luckily I met a colleague (from a different training background) with whom I could exchange ideas about training materials and approaches, and I still do that regularly. In my opinion an online platform alone isn't enough.
Thank you for your feedback!
At the annual and free professional conference for certified dyslexia and dyscalculia trainers at the University of Salzburg, you have the opportunity to personally exchange with around 300 colleagues from across Europe. In addition, the conference offers many lectures and workshops on current topics.
Warm regards,
Your Dyslexia Trainer Certificate Program Team
OK overall
The materials are well prepared and understandable. Support is also very good. The time frame for the course is appropriate. What I missed was the option to do a trial training session or shadowing. You don't really know if you're explaining the content well and understandably, or if you're teaching the child well.
Thank you for your feedback! The possibility to observe with already-trained dyslexia and dyscalculia trainers is of course available.
Warm regards,
Your Dyslexia Trainer Certificate Program Team
Good distance program
Good program with lots of theoretical tips. Compared to others, also affordable. The teaching material is well organized and understandable. Individual support is possible, though it could be expanded. Easy to apply in practice. I just don't always agree with the LRS guidelines in Germany.
Thank you for your feedback! Unfortunately, even within Germany there is no consensus on how dyslexic or dyscalculic students should be treated in the classroom. The legal regulation falls to the federal states. Handling can even differ from school to school.
Warm regards,
Your Dyslexia Trainer Certificate Program Team
Plenty of time to learn
A balanced ratio of independent learning and available help. The time allotted for the program is appropriate.
Training
The dyslexia trainer training is good. You get a lot of insight into the topic. The additional professional conferences are also very informative. Personally, I'd recommend the training only for people who actually work with children or teenagers. For me the training was very exciting because I work a lot with children and wanted to understand them better. Starting your own practice in Germany is very difficult, almost impossible, so I wouldn't advise anyone to take the training just to go independent afterwards.
Thank you for your feedback!
Information that we provide for trainers to support them on their path to self-employment can be found at: http://service.legasthenietrainer.com
Numerous trainers also work successfully on a self-employed basis in Germany.
Warm regards,
Your Dyslexia Trainer Certificate Program Team
Nice as a supplement
Especially the working materials are really great!!
Certified Dyslexia Trainer program
Short, but it captures the essentials — thanks to the practical part you can start working right away.
Top!!!!
Good support. Interesting content.
Dyslexia + dyscalculia trainer program
An uncomplicated program from the very start, where you receive all scripts and materials promptly and where the process is laid out clearly, allowing for swift progress. The online platform also offers lots of information and services that provide support and, if you're more interested, become a treasure trove of ideas and possibilities. I only took off one star because the literature and scripts repeat themselves quite a bit, which was a bit tedious for me to read.
Thank you for your feedback! We are very sorry that you found the repetition of core content for reinforcing the learning material distracting. However, our nearly 20 years of training experience has shown that the repetition of certain content is very important for most participants, as they only become fully aware of the connections through it.
Warm regards,
Your Dyslexia Trainer Certificate Program Team
A good way to continue training via distance learning
I'm satisfied with the materials and the content. I also like the assessment options. Keep it up.
Solid basic training — more support would be helpful and desirable
The program is based on four detailed, extensive scripts plus required reading (almost exclusively by Mrs. Kopp-Duller) that you work through on your own. Not everything, however, becomes clear from these materials alone. Follow-up questions are usually answered with a reference back to the scripts, which isn't very helpful — after all, questions remained after studying the scripts. I would therefore like to see one or two units of personal contact (in-person time) with space and time for exchange, deeper explanation, and follow-up questions. Then you'd feel less alone. With the multiple-choice exam questions there are sometimes answer options that are quite soft ('sometimes', 'rarely', ...) and require personal judgment (e.g.: are the 10% mentioned in the script now 'sometimes' or 'rarely'?). That makes the answer less than unambiguous and can lead to errors. I'd also recommend reading additional literature beyond the required reading to get a broader picture of the subject. All in all, the program provides solid basic training, but some questions remain open. Recommended as a starting point into the topic.
Advanced dyscalculia trainer program
After already completing the dyslexia trainer program, the study materials are informative and manageable. The CD-ROM with worksheets is extremely helpful. It's a shame there's no option this time to answer the questions in free-text form.
Qualified program
Very well structured program, great materials, motivating; the systematic lesson structure for the training is very helpful.
Helpful even for teachers
To better support my students with math difficulties, I completed the dyscalculia trainer program. It gave me a lot of background information and a noticeably better way of working with students who struggle with math.
Review of the program
The materials for the program are very well structured and easy to understand. Having a personal contact for any kind of question was something I really liked. The description of the practical exam was confusing at first — perhaps that could be described a bit more clearly. Otherwise, the program was fun, although I had a bit of trouble with the worksheets for the practical exam since one or two things weren't entirely clear to me. I'd do the ADA training again at any time and recommend the school to others.
Very helpful
I found the dyslexia trainer training extremely good and practice-relevant — 5 stars. For the dyscalculia trainer training I'd give 4 stars, because I find there are too few helpful ideas for the practical part.
