Dyslexia Therapy

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News and Updates

TDLR Health Monitor – June 2023 Edition

June 23, 2023

Articles in the June 2023 edition of The Health Monitor include updates on:

New Fingerprints May Be Required For Some Licensees
New Opioid CME Requirements For Prescribers
Laser Hair Removal Penalty Matrix Adopted
Texas Massage Therapist Exam Now Available In Simplified Chinese

Continuing Education Requirements

October 25, 2021

HB 1560, the Sunset legislation for the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, repealed Occupations Code §403.152 from the Dyslexia Therapy statute, and transferred authority regarding the continuing education requirements to TDLR’s enabling statute, Chapter 51 of the Texas Occupations Code.

Please note that no changes were made, and Dyslexia Therapy program licensees are still required to obtain continuing education (CE) credits as specified in the program rules.

Call for Subject Matter Experts

February 26, 2020

TDLR is seeking subject matter experts (SMEs) to assist our Enforcement Division with complaint case reviews. SMEs review complaint cases, generally involving standard of care issues, during the investigation stage of the enforcement process.

We currently have a shortage of Behavior Analyst, Podiatrist, and Speech-Language Pathologist SMEs.

If you are interested in becoming a SME, please complete the Expert Witness Application. Once the application is submitted, you will receive a questionnaire to complete and return. Documents are screened and contracts are issued to approved SMEs.

All SMEs receive training on their role in reviewing complaint cases. Tasks may include the following:

Reviewing documents and statements collected by investigators.
Writing a report stating an opinion as to whether the respondent violated a rule or law in the provision of care to a client.
Answering specific questions from the prosecutor about the case.
Testifying as a witness for TDLR at hearings.

Our mission is to protect the citizens of Texas and the hard-working members of your profession. We cannot do that without your specialized knowledge of the complexities of your profession. Please consider becoming a SME today.

Notice to prospective licensees, current licensees renewing their licenses, and stakeholders

DECEMBER 4, 2020

Applicants can apply for new licenses and renew licenses online. TDLR strongly encourages you to take advantage of the opportunity to apply or renew online. The process is secure and easy to use – and faster than submitting paper-based applications and supporting documents, especially as TDLR deals with significant staffing issues related to COVID-19.

Applications submitted online can take 30 days to process once TDLR receives all required documents.
Applications submitted by mail may face significant delays, which may take up to 90 days once TDLR receives all required documents.

Access the online licensing system here. If you need to submit a document outside of the online application, please scan the document and send it to TDLR using our online customer service form.

If you need to submit a transcript, please ask your university to send electronic transcripts to TDLR at cs.transcript@tdlr.texas.gov instead of mailing in an original or certified copy of an original transcript. If your need to submit other documents, such as receipt of fingerprint submission, please scan the document and send it electronically to TDLR using our Customer Service form.

Thank you for helping us process your application or renewal more quickly.

86th Legislative Session Update

May 27, 2020

Notice to Health Care Practitioners of New Training Requirement

House Bill 2059 requires certain health care practitioners to complete a Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) approved human trafficking prevention training course to renew their license. The bill also requires HHSC to post a list of approved courses on their website. Licensees are required to comply with the training requirements beginning September 1, 2020. For more information, visit our Human Trafficking Prevention Training for Health Care Practitioners webpage.

Updates to Dyslexia Therapy law(s)

April 24, 2020

House Bill 125 passed by the 86th Texas Legislature, amended Occupations Code, Chapter 403, relating to the online publication of home addresses of certain occupational license holders. House Bill 125 and the changes to Chapter 403 became effective September 1, 2019.

TDLR encourages all persons interested in the Dyslexia Therapy program to review the updated Occupations Code, Chapter 403.

Governor Approves Regulatory Suspensions to Facilitate Services to Dyslexia Therapy Clients During the COVID-19 Pandemic

April 9, 2020

To help combat the spread of Coronavirus, TDLR requested and received authority from Governor Greg Abbott to suspend certain regulatory requirements, to the extent necessary, to allow licensees of the Dyslexia Practitioners and Dyslexia Therapists program to provide more services to clients through telehealth and to ease other licensing restrictions.

These suspensions are in effect until terminated by the Office of the Governor or until the March 13, 2020 disaster declaration is lifted or expires. In accordance with Section 418.016 of the Texas Government Code, the Office of the Governor has granted TDLR’s request to suspend the following provisions:

Texas Occupations Code §403.151, to the extent necessary to allow a licensed dyslexia practitioner to practice and provide services outside of an educational setting. Licensed dyslexia therapists continue to be allowed to practice outside of an educational setting.
16 TAC §120.90(b)(18), to allow dyslexia services to be provided by dyslexia therapists or dyslexia practitioners solely through smart phone or any audio-visual, real-time, or two-way interactive communication system that can be used to provide telehealth services. Under the suspension, an initial in-person meeting with a client is not required for either a dyslexia therapist or a dyslexia practitioner.

Licensees who need additional information on billing policies relating to the provision of telehealth services during the COVID-19 pandemic should contact Texas Health and Human Services Medicaid or managed care organizations (MCO), as policies are changing rapidly. It is critical to check with your payer before initiating a new type of service or service delivery model, such as telehealth.

Before providing telehealth services, licensees should verify the applicability of other requirements and obligations, such as HIPAA and medical and personal privacy requirements.

COVID-19: Continuing Education Waived

March 24, 2020

TDLR continuing education requirements are waived for all individual licenses expiring in March, April, and May 2020. Licensees still need to submit their renewal applications, pay the required fees, and TDLR will check their criminal histories, but they will not need to complete any TDLR-required continuing education this licensing cycle. (§51.405, Occupations Code)

Note: TDLR is not authorized to waive continuing education requirements imposed by a certifying or credentialing entity other than TDLR. If a certifying entity requires continuing education to maintain certification, and certification is required for Texas licensure, then that continuing education must be completed. If the certifying entity waives continuing education or allows it to be completed on a delayed basis due to COVID-19, then you may follow the certifying entity’s policy.

Please check the TDLR COVID-19 webpage for the most up-to-date information.

Advisory Committee Meeting

February 24, 2021

The Dyslexia Therapists and Practitioners Advisory Committee met February 24, 2021 via videoconference. The meeting was archived and is viewable on TDLR’s YouTube channel. The agenda and staff reports are available online.

About the Dyslexia Therapy Program

The Dyslexia Therapy program licenses and regulates licensed dyslexia therapists and licensed dyslexia practitioners. Licensed dyslexia therapists and licensed dyslexia practitioners are dyslexia educators in Texas that have met the minimum amount of coursework, clinical experience, demonstration lessons, and required examinations for each title. A license is required to use the titles “Licensed Dyslexia Therapist” and “Licensed Dyslexia Practitioner”. Please note that the licensing law does not require a school district to employ a licensed individual. This is a voluntary licensure program, and educators may continue to provide services to those with dyslexia without being licensed.

Licensed dyslexia therapists and licensed dyslexia practitioners are authorized to provide multisensory structured language education. Multisensory structured language education is a program described by the International Multisensory Structured Language Education Council (IMSLEC) for the treatment of individuals with dyslexia and related disorders that provides instruction in the skills of reading, writing, and spelling.

Dyslexia is a specific learning disability caused by the brain’s inability to recognize words, letters, symbols, and/or sounds. These difficulties can cause repeated spelling errors, reading problems, and trouble sounding out words. People with dyslexia often have trouble linking letter symbols to sounds.

FOR MORE INFORMATION - Send an email or call (800) 803-9202 or (512) 463-6599.