Speech Therapy Telepractice

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 consist of a face-to-face treatment between therapist and client typically across a table with up to hundreds of miles of separation 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 and ensure variable used are appropriate to the client. These modifications should also be reflected in the interpretation and documentation of the services provided. Some of the standardized assessments used have already provided guidance and validation for the administration of their tests via telepractice.

Most Commonly Treated Diagnoses

Adolescents

Telepractice is used to treat both the adolescent and adult populations who experience communication difficulty. Many children receive teletherapy services via the school system, however parents may also choose to access services at home to help their kids improve their language, reading, social skills and much more. Some of the most common disorders treated in adolescents include:

• Apraxia

• Articulation disorders

• Auditory processing disorders

• Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)

• Autism Spectrum Disorder

• Cognitive/Executive Function skills

• Developmental Disabilities

• Early Intervention

• Fluency/Stuttering

• Language Therapy

• Speech Intelligibility

Adults

Adults who undergo medical procedures, strokes and cognitive changes can benefit greatly from speech teletherapy. 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:

• Accent Modification

• Aphasia

• Cognitive disorders

• Dysarthria

• Dysphagia

• Language impairments

• Parkinson's disease

• Stoke Rehabilitation

• Traumatic Brain Injury

• Voice Therapy

So who makes a good candidate for speech teletherapy?

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 true for patients who have complex comorbidities such as Parkinson's or post-stroke symptoms who have limited mobility and endurance and would be exhausted by simply trying to get to a traditional office. 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 form being a good candidate. If an individual has vision problems or difficulty maintaining eye contact and is unable to navigate the technology required to start or participate in a session or if an individual has profound cognitive impairments and does not have an assistant to help facilitate attention then Telepractice may not be an option. 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 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 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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