Teletherapy? Never heard of it. So what is it?
Most people are familiar with a traditional therapy session in an office or rehab facility, but let’s review how that differs from a speech therapy telepractice session. Traditional speech therapy services consist of face-to-face treatments between the therapist and client typically across a table within 3 feet of each other. In speech telepractice, services also consist of a face-to-face treatment between therapist and client typically across a table with up to hundreds of miles between each other. Wait, what?! You got it. Same set-up, but no travel required. Through the use of a computer and a wifi connection, clients and therapists are able to connect for services right from their own homes.
Although the set-up is basically the same, it takes a clinician with specialized skills in order to deliver a treatment session that is appropriate via technology. Assessment and therapy procedures and material need modification in order to adjust to the lack of physical contact from the therapist. Clinicians should ensure the variables used are appropriate to the client for telepractice sessions. These modifications should also be reflected in the interpretation and documentation of the services provided. Proactively, some of the standardized assessments used have already provided their own guidance and validation for the administration of their tests via teletherapy.
Most Commonly Treated Diagnoses
Adolescents
Telepractice is used to treat both the adolescent and adult populations who experience communication difficulty. Many children receive speech teletherapy services via the school system, however some parents may also choose to access services at home. These online sessions help their kids improve their language, reading, social skills and much more. Some of the most common disorders treated in adolescents include:
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Apraxia
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Articulation disorders
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Auditory processing disorders
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Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)
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Autism Spectrum Disorder
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Cognitive/Executive Function skills
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Developmental Disabilities
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Early Intervention
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Fluency/Stuttering
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Language Therapy
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Speech Intelligibility
Adults
Adults who undergo medical procedures, strokes and cognitive changes can benefit greatly from speech therapy telepractice. Those who suffer from neurological diseases and language disorders ranging in spectrum from mild to profound in nature can also benefit from online services. Because communication and socialization are such a huge part of our daily lives, those left without these skills may start to feel isolated and become depressed. Some of the most common conditions treated in adults are:
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Accent Modification
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Aphasia
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Cognitive disorders
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Dysarthria
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Dysphagia
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Language impairments
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Parkinson’s disease
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Stoke Rehabilitation
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Traumatic Brain Injury
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Voice Therapy
So who makes a good candidate for speech therapy telepractice?
Telepractice can be used with most patients who benefit from traditional speech therapy services. In fact, providing therapy services at home can be more beneficial for some patients. This is especially true for patients who have complex comorbidities such as Parkinson’s or post-stroke symptoms. Patients who have limited mobility and endurance often become exhausted by simply trying to get to a traditional office for treatment. This is also true for patients who have compromised immune systems and have health risks associated with going outside and having contact with others.
Although many people can benefit from teletherapy, there are some limitations that may exclude someone from being a good candidate. If an individual has vision problems or difficulty maintaining eye contact, then online treatment will be more challenging as they may have difficulty seeing materials presented on screen. Severe cognitive impairments or the inability to navigate the technology required to start or participate in a session, will require the presence of an assistant . Also, if a patient requires a more hand-on approach for treatment such as skilled manual stimulation for articulation disorders or NMES for swallow treatment, then a traditional brick and mortar setting is recommended.
If you are searching for more information about speech therapy telepractice, click here. We have the answers to all the pros and cons and how telepractice can help you or your loved one. Also, find information about how occupational therapy telepractice services may help here.
If you have any questions or would like to speak with us or set up an appointment, contact us at 727-275-0493 or email us at hcstraightup@gmail.com.
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