Virtual Speech Therapy – What It Looks Like and How to Get Started
In this post, we share some of the greatest benefits of virtual speech therapy. Teletherapy for speech and language challenges provides an effective and convenient option for families. With teletherapy, children get the help they need from anywhere in their state,
We explain how online therapy is as effective and in-person therapy. We talk about how it offers families an option for individual, private care. Teletherapy also saves families money, with no need to drive long distances to clinics.
Now let’s get started with what virtual speech therapy looks like!
What Does Virtual Speech Therapy Look Like?
Many parents may wonder what teletherapy is like. Virtual speech therapy works just like in-person therapy, except on a the computer. A child who needs speech therapy sees and hears their therapist. The therapist also sees and hears them.
By seeing and hearing the child, the therapist can give quality treatment. Usually, children join their sessions on video-conference software, like Zoom.
The child logs in to the session from their computer at home. They join a video session with their private speech therapist. From here the therapist starts the session.
The therapist shares pictures, audio, and video with the child. The worksheets they would use in-person, they share on the screen. This gives the child the chance to interact by highlighting and underlining words and drawing answers on the screen.
Kids can also play fun games with virtual speech therapy, which helps them stay engaged. It also makes the session a rewarding experience!
As Effective As In-Person Therapy
While in-person therapy is considered the ‘traditional therapy’ by some people, virtual speech therapy is equally effective. This goes back to the fact that therapy happens when your child sees and hears their therapist. When you hear and see the person, therapy works!
Telehealth became much more popular and well-known during the 2020 pandemic. However, telehealth has been around for a while. In fact, researchers have shown that it is equally as effective as in-person therapy.
Virtual speech therapy gives families a valid option to get the quality therapy their child needs and deserves. Knowing this is an effective option opens up doors. It gives parents an easy way to get their child started with speech therapy services.
Virtual Speech Therapy Gives You Options
Starting speech therapy without driving long distances or in a single location gives you options. By using teletherapy, your child can have their speech sessions anywhere in the state. This makes family trips, visiting relatives and other travel needs much more manageable.
Some families may need to drive up to 40 minutes or more to get to a clinic. Then they need to stay there and wait for the session to begin and end. They usually make this drive multiple times a week.
With virtual speech therapy, getting to sessions is easy. They start at home. With many parents working from home or beginning homeschool for their child, this makes teletherapy for speech a great option.
It’s Quick and Easy to Get Started
Getting started with virtual speech therapy is quick and easy. For example, when you get a free consultation at Verbalyze, you get to schedule your child’s first session on the phone.
Teletherapy for speech means you get your own client portal, text message or phone call reminders, and a link to join sessions.
Your child can easily join their speech therapy session at home. When you start virtual services, you also get your own calendar to keep track of important events.
While traditional clinics may have long waiting lists, online speech therapy often means your child can get started right away.
Flexible and Convenient Therapy
When you begin online speech therapy, you get a flexible and convenient option for therapy. Traditional therapy may be more restricted in its scheduling options. In-person therapy may also require long drives or involve waiting in a clinic.
With telehealth, you often get much more flexibility and how and when you schedule appointments. In-person therapy usually involves a visit or phone call to change an a session time. Telehealth, on the other hand, lets you text your therapist these changes or request a change on an online calendar.
Many physical buildings close on weekends, but online practices may offer you weekend availability. When you contact an online practice, ask about the days and times they give therapy.
Virtual Speech Therapy with 1-1 Individual Care
School speech therapy may involve getting your child placed in a group. Sometimes this works well for a child. For example, some children with social skills goals do best in groups. However, many times, individual therapy works best. It means your child gets more practice with the skills they need.
When you begin online services, your child works directly with a private therapist. Their therapist gives them the full attention they deserve.
Individual speech therapy online means your child gets consistent care in the privacy of your own home. If your child does need group sessions, reach out to a speech therapist to see if they offer social groups!
Virtual Speech Therapy Saves You Money
Virtual speech therapy has been a great option for families looking to save money. With gas prices rising, driving to and from clinics can get expensive.
With online therapy, you get all the benefits of in-person services without having to spend money on gas. online therapy practices might also offer affordable evaluation packages or other ways to save money. Reach out to an SLP to find out if they offer a deal on getting started.
How to Get the Most out of Virtual Speech Therapy
When you start online services, you might wonder about how to get the most out of each session. Having fast internet helps with this. A fast connection means therapy happens without interruption. Using a good webcam and microphone also helps.
Also, try moving the computer to a quiet and comfortable space in the house. Therapy without noise means your child hears everything they need to hear to succeed in their sessions!
However, there are other ways you can boost your child’s online experience, such as by:
- Using a good webcam
- Using a good microphone
- Closing browsers and programs
- Using a quiet space
You Have Everything You Need to Start Now
To summarize, you have everything you need to get your child effective virtual speech therapy at home. As long as you have a computer with internet and a webcam, your child can get started now.
All therapy sessions happen over an online platform, like Zoom. You get your own client portal to view your calendar and schedule sessions. These sessions are as effective as in-person therapy. They offer you a convenient way to get services and save money.
If your child struggles with speech, language, social skills or other communication need, contact an SLP today. When you get a free consultation, you get to ask a therapist as many questions as you like and schedule your child’s first session on the phone.
