Credentials Matter: Why Your Child’s Teachers Should Be Licensed Too

Most parents would never allow an unlicensed therapist to work with their child. We expect speech therapists, occupational therapists, behavior analysts, and counselors to hold proper credentials, complete supervised training, and operate within clear professional standards. We understand—instinctively—that therapy without licensure puts children at risk.

Education should be held to the same standard.

Yet in today’s educational landscape, parents are increasingly being asked to trust programs that rely on unlicensed staff to deliver instruction, often under the assumption that passion, flexibility, or good intentions are enough. Especially for neurodivergent learners, that assumption is not just misguided—it’s harmful.

Why We Demand Credentials in Therapy

Therapists are licensed because:

• Children are vulnerable

• Interventions must be evidence-based

• Progress must be monitored and documented

• Ethical standards must be upheld

• There must be accountability when something goes wrong

No one would accept “I love kids” as a qualification to deliver therapy. We expect formal training, oversight, and professional responsibility.

Education Deserves the Same

Teaching is not a casual role. Licensed teachers complete years of preparation in:

• Child development

• Learning science and instructional design

• Assessment and progress monitoring

• Classroom management

• Special education law and accommodations

For students with disabilities, this training is even more critical. Instruction must be explicit, structured, and aligned with how a child learns—not improvised.

Just as therapy requires expertise to be effective, education requires expertise to be meaningful.

Passion Is Not a Substitute for Preparation

Caring about children matters. But caring alone does not teach reading, writing, math, or critical thinking. It does not ensure lessons are developmentally appropriate or that gaps are identified early. And it does not protect a child’s legal rights.

Well-intentioned but untrained instruction can lead to:

• Academic regression

• Missed intervention windows

• Inconsistent expectations

• Increased frustration and behavioral challenges

These are not risks parents would accept in a therapeutic setting—and they should not accept them in an educational one.

The Danger of Blurring Roles

In many alternative models, unlicensed staff are expected to function as teachers while also supporting therapeutic goals. This blurs professional boundaries and weakens both disciplines.

Therapeutic staff play a vital role in supporting regulation and skill development. Teachers play a vital role in delivering instruction and overseeing academic progress. When one role replaces the other, children lose access to the full support system they deserve.

Children thrive when professionals work collaboratively—each within their scope of practice.

Accountability Protects Children

Licensure brings accountability. It means:

• There are standards to follow

• Documentation must be maintained

• Progress must be measured

• Parents have recourse if concerns arise

If a teacher is unlicensed, families should ask: Who oversees instruction? Who ensures standards are met? Who is legally responsible for my child’s education?

Without credentials, those answers are often unclear.

The Bottom Line

If you expect your child’s BCBA, RBT, SLP, or OT to be licensed, you should expect the same of your child’s teacher.

Neurodivergent learners deserve professionals who are trained, qualified, and accountable—across all areas of their development. Education should never be experimental, informal, or improvised.

Your child’s learning matters too much for anything less.