IMSLEC

What IMSLEC does

IMSLEC (the International Multisensory Structured Language Education Council) is a Texas-incorporated 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1995 that accredits training courses preparing dyslexia teachers and therapists in Multisensory Structured Language Education (MSLE). The organization sets the content and practicum standards that accredited training centers must meet, evaluates courses via on-site or virtual reviews, and awards accreditation at four tiers: Teaching, Instructor of Teaching, Therapy, and Instructor of Therapy. As of 2024, 58 courses across 24 US states, Puerto Rico, and Canada held IMSLEC accreditation, spanning universities, K-12 schools, hospitals, and nonprofit training centers.

IMSLEC operates as a standards-setting and accreditation body rather than a software company. Its technology footprint is limited to a web-based member directory (imslec.org), a members-only portal, and document-based accreditation procedures. The proprietary "asset" is the codified MSLE standards framework (defining course content areas such as phonology, morphology, syntax, and semantics, plus instructional principles including simultaneous multisensory VAKT and diagnostic teaching) and the multi-tier accreditation rubric. The organization is a founding member of The Alliance for Accreditation and Certification alongside the International Dyslexia Association (IDA) and the Academic Language Therapy Association (ALTA), which institutionalizes cross-organizational alignment.

IMSLEC generates revenue through four streams: initial and recurring accreditation fees ($150 application, $600-$2,250+ initial based on levels and satellite sites, $300-$425 reaffirmation at three years), membership fees from training organizations, a tiered donation program ($10 Friends through $5,000+ Benefactors), and CE sponsor review fees. Grants from Boon Philanthropy fund the Orton National Teacher Scholarship program. Annual Council meetings, allied-organization partnerships, and a searchable online directory form the primary go-to-market motion. The organization is governed by a 15-member board elected from accredited training course representatives, with non-voting seats for IDA and ALTA, and managed by an Executive Director (Jana Jones, since 2017).

Name

IMSLEC

Legal name

The International Multisensory Structured Language Education Council

Website

https://imslec.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

IMSLEC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit accrediting body that sets standards and accredits Multisensory Structured Language Education training courses at four levels, serving universities, K-12 schools, hospitals, and nonprofits preparing dyslexia teachers and therapists across 24 US states, Puerto Rico, and Canada.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Accreditation Services

NAICS

All Other Schools and Instruction (61169), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Professional Development for Educators (Dyslexia/LD Training) (EDAKAJAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Multisensory Learning Programs & Curriculum for Dyslexia/LD (EDAKAJAL)

Keywords

• Educational accreditation services
• Dyslexia training standards
• Structured literacy accreditation
• Teacher training certification
• Nonprofit education standards

Headquarters

HQ city

Dallas

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Accreditation Fees: Training courses pay accreditation fees based on the number of levels offered (2 or 4 levels) and number of satellite sites. Initial accreditation ranges from $600-$2,250+ depending on configuration, with reaffirmation and renewal fees at reduced rates.
2. Membership Fees: Qualified organizations offering MSLE training courses pay membership fees to join IMSLEC. The membership supports the accreditation standards, directory listing, and community benefits.
3. Donations: IMSLEC accepts tax-deductible donations at various support levels: Friends ($10-$99), Contributors ($100-$499), Supporters ($500-$999), Sustainers ($1,000-$4,999), and Benefactors ($5,000+).
4. CE Sponsor Fees: Organizations seeking approval as Continuing Education (CE) sponsors pay review fees. IMSLEC maintains a list of approved journals, books, and sponsors for CE credit.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

IMSLEC accredits Multisensory Structured Language Education (MSLE) training courses for the professional preparation of dyslexia teachers and therapists. It evaluates training programs offered by independent agencies, colleges, universities, hospitals, and schools at four certification levels (Teaching, Instructor of Teaching, Therapy, and Instructor of Therapy) through rigorous on-site evaluations, self-study reviews, and defined practicum standards. It also recognizes schools implementing MSLE approaches and approves Continuing Education sponsors.

Product overview

IMSLEC (International Multisensory Structured Language Education Council) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit accrediting organization established in 1995 that sets standards for the preparation of dyslexia teachers and therapists. Rather than a single software product, IMSLEC operates as an accreditation body offering multiple interconnected services: its core Course Accreditation Program evaluates and accredits MSLE training courses at four certification levels (Teaching, Instructor of Teaching, Therapy, Instructor of Therapy); the School Recognition Program recognizes schools implementing accredited MSLE approaches; the MSL Course Directory provides a searchable database of accredited training centers; the Continuing Education Program approves CE sponsors and provides policies; and the organization administers awards including the Innovator Awards and Etoile DuBard Award to recognize excellence in the field. IMSLEC-accredited training courses span institutions across 24 U.S. states, Puerto Rico, and Canada, with 58 courses accredited as of 2024.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Course Accreditation Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 58 accredited courses in 24 states, Puerto Rico, and Canada (2024)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, important and supporting.

• International Dyslexia Association (IDA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIDA is a founding member organization of The Alliance for Accreditation and Certification with IMSLEC. IMSLEC-accredited courses are recognized by IDA for meeting IDA's Knowledge and Practice Standards for Teachers of Reading since 2013. IDA representative sits on IMSLEC Board as non-voting member. Joint conference participation.
• Academic Language Therapy Association (ALTA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerALTA is an allied organization and founding member of The Alliance for Accreditation and Certification with IMSLEC. IMSLEC and ALTA established dual accreditation in 2002 and merged Centers Council in 2006 to form one accrediting organization. ALTA representative sits on IMSLEC Board as non-voting member.
• Orton-Gillingham Academy (OGA)importantStrategic or Co-development PartnerOGA offers training, certification, accreditation, and resources for dyslexia education. Listed as an Allied Organization. Both OGA and IMSLEC are part of The Alliance for Accreditation and Certification ecosystem.
• Wilson Language TrainingsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerWilson Language Training provides quality professional learning for educators in structured literacy. Listed as an Allied Organization. IMSLEC and Wilson exhibit together under The Alliance banner at conferences.
• The Alliance for Accreditation and CertificationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Alliance exists to provide a united association of organizations concerned with accreditation of MSLE training courses and certification of graduates. IMSLEC is a founding member organization (since 2002). The Alliance developed a certifying exam administered by ALTA.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Lexercise: Lexercise is an online structured literacy tutoring platform serving students with dyslexia. While it is a downstream provider rather than an accreditor, it operates in the same dyslexia professional services value chain and reflects where digitally delivered MSLE-related training is heading.
• Barton Reading & Spelling System: Barton is a widely adopted structured literacy tutoring program for dyslexia. While it is not itself IMSLEC-accredited, it competes in the same teacher/tutor training market and represents the kind of proprietary program that competes with IMSLEC-accredited training pathways.

Direct peers

• Neuhaus Education Center: Neuhaus Education Center is a Houston-based provider of structured literacy teacher training that holds IMSLEC accreditation. It is a representative example of the type of accredited training center in IMSLEC's directory and a peer within the same MSLE professional preparation space.
• Orton-Gillingham Academy (OGA): OGA is an allied organization of IMSLEC within The Alliance for Accreditation and Certification, offering its own training, certification, and accreditation for Orton-Gillingham practitioners. Both organizations credential dyslexia specialists within the structured literacy community.
• Slingerland Institute for Literacy: Slingerland Institute for Literacy is an IMSLEC-accredited training organization represented on the IMSLEC Board. It delivers its own Slingerland method teacher training within IMSLEC's framework and is a peer in the structured literacy teacher-preparation category.
• Scottish Rite for Children: Scottish Rite for Children operates a Dyslexia Therapist Training Course accredited by IMSLEC since 2001 and houses affiliated Scottish Rite Learning Centers across multiple states. It is both a member of IMSLEC's accredited training ecosystem and a comparator for hospital/medical-entity-based dyslexia training programs.
• International Dyslexia Association (IDA): IDA is a co-founding member of The Alliance for Accreditation and Certification alongside IMSLEC, sets the Knowledge and Practice Standards for Teachers of Reading that IMSLEC-accredited courses align to, and operates its own Center for Effective Reading Instruction (CERI) accreditation pathway. They share the same dyslexia professional standards ecosystem and overlapping institutional members.
• Academic Language Therapy Association (ALTA): ALTA is an allied organization and former dual-accreditation partner that merged its Centers Council with IMSLEC in 2006. ALTA certifies academic language therapists and sits on the IMSLEC Board, with deeply overlapping membership and the same MSLE practitioner audience.

Broad incumbents

• Wilson Language Training: Wilson Language Training is a leading publisher of structured literacy curricula (Wilson Reading System) and an IMSLEC allied organization. It is a much larger commercial player whose accredited training programs are part of IMSLEC's directory and which competes with independent training centers for the same teacher-preparation market.
• Reading Recovery Council of North America: Reading Recovery provides accredited teacher training for early literacy intervention at scale. It is not dyslexia-specific but is an analogous professional training accreditation model in the broader literacy space and represents adjacent regulatory and teacher-preparation territory.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about IMSLEC