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Teletherapy – a proven way to provide speech and language therapy without direct contact

Date: 30th March 2020

Written by Ruth Crampton 

Speech and language therapists strive to provide the best therapy possible for our clients, both adults and children. But with the coronavirus meaning we are ‘social distancing’ for the sake of people’s health, can we still do that?

Teletherapy (also called telehealth) enables therapists to use video communication over the Internet to offer our clients face-to-face speech and language therapy in the comfort of their own homes, without direct contact. We can see and listen to speech, observe social interaction, focus on language development and collect the data we need.

Children may even be more motivated to engage in therapy, knowing they’ll be using a familiar gadget in a unique way. We can also record sessions and play them back to clients, so they can critique themselves for corrections – we can also keep track of their progress as time goes on.

Teletherapy enables us to maintain strong connections with our clients, even without meeting face-to-face. We can check in with our clients whenever is convenient, while giving families the freedom to receive therapy whenever they want, during what is now a mixed day of home schooling, family activities and relaxation.

 

As well as being convenient, teletherapy is proven to be beneficial in most cases. The American Association of Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA) has looked at 40 peer-reviewed studies that confirm teletherapy produces outcomes that are as good as direct contact for services including:

  • Articulation therapy
  • Fluency/stuttering therapy
  • Expressive and receptive language therapy
  • Parent coaching and strategy implementation
  • Stroke

Telehealth is an emerging practice area with great potential. It can help remove barriers to traditional therapy models and provide parents and carers with the tools they need to support the client’s development, while becoming part of the session. 

Many of our therapists are now offering teletherapy provision. Why not put your postcode into this link to find a therapist who can support your requirements?

Link: https://asltip.com/find-a-speech-therapist

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Interested in becoming a member?

ASLTIP’s membership has been growing rapidly since 1989. We are a support organisation run by our members. The executive board is always grateful for new members and new ideas.

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