How Does Online Therapy Work?

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, parents are having to weigh the pros and cons of different service delivery models. In-person therapy is obviously the more traditional option. I have been providing speech-language therapy in-person for many years. In-person therapy gives great opportunities for connection between the therapist and the child. However, during COVID-19, I, as the speech-language therapist, need to wear a mask and keep a distance from my little patients, which can make interaction difficult or impossible.

Online therapy makes it easy to share written information via screen share while you practice skills with your child during everyday activities like mealtime.

Online therapy, called teletherapy or telehealth, is a newer service delivery model. Many parents are hesitant to try online therapy. The most common comment I hear from parents is fear that their child is too young or doesn’t have the attention to be successful in an online appointment. It can be hard to imagine how the therapist-child relationship and interactions can possibly translate to an appointment on a video conferencing platform, let alone how a very young child could pay attention to a therapist on the other side of a screen.

However, parent coaching, which is a key component of all of my speech-language therapy sessions at North Star, is tremendously effective via online therapy, for several reasons. With your family at home in your natural environment with me as the therapist observing from the computer, your child-caregiver dynamic remains intact and your child is less distracted. You can work with your child during their everyday activities, like mealtimes, story time, and play time in the comfort of your own home.

With online speech-language therapy, you can improve your child’s speech-language skills in your own home with North Star’s parent coaching.

With a video conferencing platform, I can share the screen to teach you about speech and language development and facilitation strategies. We can use the screen share to help with self-reflection and home practice activities.

Another HUGE pro to online therapy is the convenience of staying at home, without anyone coming into your space. With uncertainty surrounding the virus, you can rest assured that your child can access the therapy they need without the risks of in-person interactions.

I strongly feel, and I’ve had parents agree with me, that online therapy is a game changer for parent coaching. I recommend giving it a try. I think you will be pleasantly surprised with the results!

Check out our blog post about how the pandemic prompted our move to offer speech-language therapy online.

Visit our Online Therapy page for more information or contact us to schedule an appointment!