CALT Certified Academic Language Therapist
Exam Questions and Verified Answers
Here is a comprehensive set of 200 detailed, scenario-based, and in-depth practice questions
for the Certified Academic Language Therapist (CALT) exam, based on the Academic Language
Therapy Association (ALTA) competencies, the International Dyslexia Association (IDA)
definitions, and Orton-Gillingham (OG) principles.
Section 1: Foundations of Dyslexia & MSLE/OG Principles
Question 1: A parent asks you to explain the definition of dyslexia as recognized by the
International Dyslexia Association (IDA). Which of the following components is essential to
include in your explanation?
A) It is primarily caused by visual processing deficits and seeing letters backward.
B) It is a specific learning disability that is neurological in origin, characterized by difficulties with
accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities.
C) It is a condition that only affects reading comprehension and is outgrown by adolescence.
D) It is a result of low intelligence and lack of educational opportunity.
Answer: B
Rationale: The IDA defines dyslexia as a specific learning disability that is neurological in origin.
It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor
spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the
phonological component of language.
Question 2: During an initial intake, you observe that a student struggles to blend sounds into
words but has average to above-average intelligence and receives adequate classroom
instruction. This profile is most indicative of which underlying deficit?
A) Visual-spatial deficit
B) Phonological deficit
,C) Working memory deficit only
D) Auditory processing deficit only
Answer: B
Rationale: The core deficit in dyslexia is a phonological deficit, which impairs the ability to
process the sounds of language, leading to difficulties in blending, segmenting, and mapping
phonemes to graphemes, despite adequate intelligence and instruction.
Question 3: Which of the following best describes the "simultaneous, multisensory" principle of
Orton-Gillingham instruction?
A) Teaching visual, auditory, and kinesthetic modalities sequentially to ensure mastery.
B) Engaging visual, auditory, and kinesthetic-tactile pathways simultaneously to reinforce
memory and learning of the language.
C) Using only visual and auditory cues while the student traces letters in sand.
D) Teaching reading and spelling in separate, isolated blocks of time.
Answer: B
Rationale: Multisensory instruction in the OG approach requires that all learning pathways
(visual, auditory, kinesthetic-tactile) are engaged *simultaneously* to help students form
stronger neural connections and retain language structures.
Question 4: A CALT is planning a scope and sequence for a 3rd-grade student with dyslexia. The
instruction must be "systematic and cumulative." What does this mean in practice?
A) The teacher introduces new concepts randomly based on student interest.
B) The teacher follows a logical order of language elements, building upon previously learned
concepts without skipping foundational steps.
C) The teacher only teaches concepts that the student has already been exposed to in the
general education classroom.
D) The teacher focuses solely on high-frequency sight words.
Answer: B
,Rationale: Systematic and cumulative instruction means following a logical, structural sequence
(e.g., simple to complex) and continuously reviewing past learning to build a solid foundation,
ensuring no gaps in the student's knowledge.
Question 5: Which of the following historical figures is credited with coining the term
"strephosymbolia" (twisted symbols) and pioneering the concept that dyslexia is a language-
based learning disability rather than a visual one?
A) Jeanne Chall
B) Samuel Orton
C) Anna Gillingham
D) Louisa Moats
Answer: B
Rationale: Dr. Samuel Orton, a neuropsychiatrist, was the first to identify that dyslexia was a
language-based condition and coined the term "strephosymbolia." Anna Gillingham later
partnered with him to develop the instructional methods.
Question 6: In the context of Academic Language Therapy, what is the primary difference
between a CALT and a CALT-I (Independent)?
A) A CALT can only work in public schools, while a CALT-I can work in private practice.
B) A CALT must practice under the supervision of a licensed dyslexia therapist or CALT-I for a
designated period before practicing independently.
C) A CALT-I is only qualified to assess, not teach.
D) There is no difference; the titles are interchangeable.
Answer: B
Rationale: ALTA requires CALT candidates to complete a supervised practicum. Once they
achieve the CALT credential, they must accumulate additional supervised independent hours to
become a CALT-I, allowing them to practice independently and supervise others.
, Question 7: A student can easily decode nonsense words like "blam" and "stropt" but struggles
to read real words in connected text and has poor reading comprehension. What is the most
likely cause of this comprehension breakdown?
A) Lack of background knowledge
B) Poor visual tracking
C) Lack of automaticity in decoding, leaving insufficient cognitive resources for comprehension
D) Low overall intelligence
Answer: C
Rationale: According to the Simple View of Reading, reading comprehension is the product of
decoding and language comprehension. If decoding is not automatic, the student's working
memory and cognitive resources are entirely consumed by the act of decoding, leaving little
capacity for comprehension.
Question 8: Which of the following is NOT a core principle of Orton-Gillingham instruction?
A) Diagnostic and Prescriptive
B) Multisensory
C) Whole Language
D) Cognitive and Emotionally Sound
Answer: C
Rationale: Whole Language is an approach that emphasizes guessing words from context and
pictures, which is contrary to the explicit, systematic, and phonics-based approach of Orton-
Gillingham.
Question 9: When providing "diagnostic and prescriptive" instruction, what is the therapist's
primary responsibility?
A) To administer a standardized test at the end of the year.
B) To continuously monitor the student's responses, identify areas of confusion, and adjust the
lesson in real-time and over time.
C) To prescribe medication for attention deficits.
Exam Questions and Verified Answers
Here is a comprehensive set of 200 detailed, scenario-based, and in-depth practice questions
for the Certified Academic Language Therapist (CALT) exam, based on the Academic Language
Therapy Association (ALTA) competencies, the International Dyslexia Association (IDA)
definitions, and Orton-Gillingham (OG) principles.
Section 1: Foundations of Dyslexia & MSLE/OG Principles
Question 1: A parent asks you to explain the definition of dyslexia as recognized by the
International Dyslexia Association (IDA). Which of the following components is essential to
include in your explanation?
A) It is primarily caused by visual processing deficits and seeing letters backward.
B) It is a specific learning disability that is neurological in origin, characterized by difficulties with
accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities.
C) It is a condition that only affects reading comprehension and is outgrown by adolescence.
D) It is a result of low intelligence and lack of educational opportunity.
Answer: B
Rationale: The IDA defines dyslexia as a specific learning disability that is neurological in origin.
It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor
spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the
phonological component of language.
Question 2: During an initial intake, you observe that a student struggles to blend sounds into
words but has average to above-average intelligence and receives adequate classroom
instruction. This profile is most indicative of which underlying deficit?
A) Visual-spatial deficit
B) Phonological deficit
,C) Working memory deficit only
D) Auditory processing deficit only
Answer: B
Rationale: The core deficit in dyslexia is a phonological deficit, which impairs the ability to
process the sounds of language, leading to difficulties in blending, segmenting, and mapping
phonemes to graphemes, despite adequate intelligence and instruction.
Question 3: Which of the following best describes the "simultaneous, multisensory" principle of
Orton-Gillingham instruction?
A) Teaching visual, auditory, and kinesthetic modalities sequentially to ensure mastery.
B) Engaging visual, auditory, and kinesthetic-tactile pathways simultaneously to reinforce
memory and learning of the language.
C) Using only visual and auditory cues while the student traces letters in sand.
D) Teaching reading and spelling in separate, isolated blocks of time.
Answer: B
Rationale: Multisensory instruction in the OG approach requires that all learning pathways
(visual, auditory, kinesthetic-tactile) are engaged *simultaneously* to help students form
stronger neural connections and retain language structures.
Question 4: A CALT is planning a scope and sequence for a 3rd-grade student with dyslexia. The
instruction must be "systematic and cumulative." What does this mean in practice?
A) The teacher introduces new concepts randomly based on student interest.
B) The teacher follows a logical order of language elements, building upon previously learned
concepts without skipping foundational steps.
C) The teacher only teaches concepts that the student has already been exposed to in the
general education classroom.
D) The teacher focuses solely on high-frequency sight words.
Answer: B
,Rationale: Systematic and cumulative instruction means following a logical, structural sequence
(e.g., simple to complex) and continuously reviewing past learning to build a solid foundation,
ensuring no gaps in the student's knowledge.
Question 5: Which of the following historical figures is credited with coining the term
"strephosymbolia" (twisted symbols) and pioneering the concept that dyslexia is a language-
based learning disability rather than a visual one?
A) Jeanne Chall
B) Samuel Orton
C) Anna Gillingham
D) Louisa Moats
Answer: B
Rationale: Dr. Samuel Orton, a neuropsychiatrist, was the first to identify that dyslexia was a
language-based condition and coined the term "strephosymbolia." Anna Gillingham later
partnered with him to develop the instructional methods.
Question 6: In the context of Academic Language Therapy, what is the primary difference
between a CALT and a CALT-I (Independent)?
A) A CALT can only work in public schools, while a CALT-I can work in private practice.
B) A CALT must practice under the supervision of a licensed dyslexia therapist or CALT-I for a
designated period before practicing independently.
C) A CALT-I is only qualified to assess, not teach.
D) There is no difference; the titles are interchangeable.
Answer: B
Rationale: ALTA requires CALT candidates to complete a supervised practicum. Once they
achieve the CALT credential, they must accumulate additional supervised independent hours to
become a CALT-I, allowing them to practice independently and supervise others.
, Question 7: A student can easily decode nonsense words like "blam" and "stropt" but struggles
to read real words in connected text and has poor reading comprehension. What is the most
likely cause of this comprehension breakdown?
A) Lack of background knowledge
B) Poor visual tracking
C) Lack of automaticity in decoding, leaving insufficient cognitive resources for comprehension
D) Low overall intelligence
Answer: C
Rationale: According to the Simple View of Reading, reading comprehension is the product of
decoding and language comprehension. If decoding is not automatic, the student's working
memory and cognitive resources are entirely consumed by the act of decoding, leaving little
capacity for comprehension.
Question 8: Which of the following is NOT a core principle of Orton-Gillingham instruction?
A) Diagnostic and Prescriptive
B) Multisensory
C) Whole Language
D) Cognitive and Emotionally Sound
Answer: C
Rationale: Whole Language is an approach that emphasizes guessing words from context and
pictures, which is contrary to the explicit, systematic, and phonics-based approach of Orton-
Gillingham.
Question 9: When providing "diagnostic and prescriptive" instruction, what is the therapist's
primary responsibility?
A) To administer a standardized test at the end of the year.
B) To continuously monitor the student's responses, identify areas of confusion, and adjust the
lesson in real-time and over time.
C) To prescribe medication for attention deficits.
