Speech-Language Therapy During a Pandemic
We find ourselves in an unprecedented situation as the world deals with the outbreak of COVID-19. Confused, stressed, and overwhelmed? Me too. Because of recommendations to self-isolate and socially distance, families find themselves unable to take their children to speech-language therapy. Enter online therapy!
Speech-language therapy online involves using a videoconferencing platform to connect the speech-language pathologist (SLP), the child, and their family. Isn’t technology fantastic?
Now that we’ve opened Pandora’s box about online therapy, I’m sure there are lots of questions popping up. Do you actually expect my two year old to sit in front of a computer for therapy? Does this even work?
Well, you are in luck, because even before we had to stop seeing each other face-to-face, scientists were researching online therapy and some therapists were already using online therapy to provide speech-language therapy services. Research suggests that parent coaching is effective when delivered via online therapy. This means that your child doesn’t necessarily need to sit in front of a computer to participate in speech-language therapy. For many children, the parent or caregiver plays with their child with guidance from the SLP for how to shape the interaction to improve communication skills. Similarly to in-person therapy, parent coaching via online therapy guides the parent to use speech and language facilitation strategies.
Check out our blog post about in-person versus online therapy for more!
The bottom line is that online therapy works for most children. Your child’s SLP can work with you to find the best structure for the virtual session.
Visit our Virtual Therapy page for more information or get in touch with me for a free 15-minute consultation to decide if online speech-language therapy is right for you and your family!
Resources:
Douglas, S. N., Nordquist, E., Kammes, R., & Gerde, H. (2018). Online parent training to support children with complex communication needs. Infants & Young Children, 30(4), 299–303.
Hao, Y., Sundarrajan, M., Franco, J. H., & Chen, Y. (n.d.). A Pilot Study Comparing Tele-Therapy and In-Person Therapy: Perspectives from Parent- Mediated Intervention for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, In-press. Retrieved March 24, 2020, from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/339722967_Running_Head_A_Pilot_Study_Comparing_Tele-Therapy_and_In-Person_Therapy_Perspectives_from_Parent-_Mediated_Intervention_for_Children_with_Autism_Spectrum_Disorders
Ingersoll, B., & Berger, N. I. (2015). Parent Engagement With a Telehealth-Based Parent-Mediated Intervention Program for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders: Predictors of Program Use and Parent Outcomes. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 17(10). https://www-ncbi-nlm-nih-gov.turing.library.northwestern.edu/pmc/articles/PMC4642401/
Ingersoll, B., Shannon, K., Berger, N., Pickard, K., & Holtz, B. (2017). Self-Directed Telehealth Parent-Mediated Intervention for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Examination of the Potential Reach and Utilization in Community Settings. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 19(7). https://www-ncbi-nlm-nih-gov.turing.library.northwestern.edu/pmc/articles/PMC5529736/
