What Is Telepractice and Does It Work?
Are you a busy parent? Do you get home just in time for dinner and bedtime routines? Is there simply not enough time to add in one more activity?
Or maybe you are a caregiver of someone who is not ambulatory or becomes easily worn out traveling to and from appointments. Is the thought of transporting your loved one to another appointment just too much?
Perhaps you live an hour away from the nearest speech pathologist. Is this too far to reach? If any of these scenarios apply, then it’s time to consider adding telepractice, or online speech therapy, to your “shopping cart”.
When teletherapy is delivered with a good understanding of the technology and with plenty of available resources such as diagnostic and intervention web-based tools, it provides a more convenient experience for the client with the same high-quality care for a variety of patients with a wide range of ages and disorders (Whales, Skinner & Hayman, 2017).
A common misconception is that telepractice is not as interactive or personal as in-person therapy; however; Hall et al. [1], Lee et al.2, Whales et al.3and others have studied telepractice and have shown it to be as effective as face-to-face interactions, with the added benefit of being very convenient for the patient. Research conducted has proven that assessment, intervention, and consultative services performed using online speech therapy are effective and equivalent to in-person services (Hall et al, 2013).
The materials used for speech and language therapy are scanned in or web-based, and at the click of a button, they can be shared electronically and appear on the client’s computer screen. The activities and materials are so interactive and engaging that it has been reported that these high-interest tasks often continue well beyond the therapy sessions.
Apps can be used interchangeably with other tools that we use in therapy. For example, we can use apps to capture vocal loudness during voice therapy. It serves the same purpose as a sound pressure level meter, the tool used for in-person voice therapy. Children who enjoy technology love meeting online and are motivated to participate in therapy.
In our experience as speech pathologists using telepractice to deliver speech, language, voice, and swallowing therapy and evaluations since 2018, we feel that it is just as personal as in-person therapy, and my relationships with my patients are deeply meaningful.
The ability to reach clients who would otherwise not be receiving services because of a busy lifestyle, transportation issues, or living too far is very rewarding. Another added benefit of telepractice is that treatment is delivered in the patient’s natural environment, so we can see if modifications can facilitate communication.
We often have the opportunity to meet the family members, caregivers (or even the pets!) of the client, which is important since they tend to be involved in the patient’s daily communication encounters.
References:
Hall, N., Boisvert, M., & Steele, R. (2013). Telepractice in the Assessment and Treatment of Individuals with Aphasia: A Systematic Review. International Journal of Telerehabilitation, 5(1), 27–38.
Lee, S.A. (2018). The treatment efficacy of multiple opposition phonological approach via telepractice for two children with severe phonological disorders in rural areas of West Texas in the USA. Journal of Child Language and Teaching Therapy, 34 (1), 63-78.
Wales, D., Skinner, L., & Hayman, M. (2017). The Efficacy of Telehealth-Delivered Speech and Language Intervention for Primary School-Age Children: A Systematic Review. International Journal of Telerehabilitation, 9(1), 55–70.
About the Author
Allison Geller is a speech-language pathologist (SLP) and the owner of Connected Speech Pathology. She obtained her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the University of Florida in Speech-Language Pathology. Allison has practiced speech therapy in a number of settings including telepractice, acute care, outpatient rehabilitation, and private practice. She has worked extensively with individuals across the lifespan including toddlers, preschoolers, school-aged children, and adults. She specializes in the evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of a variety of communication disorders including receptive/expressive language disorders, articulation disorders, voice disorders, fluency disorders, brain injury, and swallowing disorders.
Allison served as the clinical coordinator of research in aphasia in the Neurological Institute at Columbia University Medical Center in New York. She is on the Board of Directors for the Corporate Speech Pathology Network (CORSPAN), a Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT) certified clinician, and a proud Family Empowerment Scholarship/Step-Up For Students provider. Allison is passionate about delivering high quality-effective treatment remotely because it’s convenient and easy to access. What sets us apart from other online speech therapy options is—Allison takes great care to hire the very best SLPs from all over the country.
