What is Teletherapy?

Teletherapy is the use of web-based technology to access speech and language services. Teletherapy, much like in-person therapy, is provided by a registered Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP). During teletherapy, the SLP and you/your child would join an online based session at the designated therapy time and would work on the same treatment goals as you would in-person. While this is a new service delivery model in our field, it is being researched to a great extent, resulting in very promising findings. The delivery of services via teletherapy has been shown to be as effective as in-person therapy. At Airdrie Speech Therapy, we use engaging and interactive activities to deliver the same quality therapy as our in-person sessions.

“The Canadian Association of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists (SAC) endorses the use of telepractice in both speech-language pathology and audiology as a means of improving access to services provided by fully qualified professionals”.

Who is a candidate for Teletherapy?

Anyone over the age of three can participate in teletherapy sessions, as long as an appropriate level of engagement can be achieved. Depending on the age of the child and the goals we are working on, we will determine whether direct therapy or parent/caregiver coaching is most appropriate if an online session is preferred.

What is required to participate in Teletherapy?

Clients’ will need:

• A stable internet connection

• Access to a computer or tablet that can run ZOOM

• Access to a printer is recommended but not essential

• A quiet space where assessment or treatment can take place
  

How long are Teletherapy sessions?

We currently offer 30 and 60 minute treatment sessions. Our 30 minute sessions are curated for children under the age of 4 who may have difficulty engaging for a full session.

What does a Teletherapy session look like?

Teletherapy treatment is direct intervention with the client’s full participation . Services look different for each client, and are dependent on the age of the individual, their goals, and what is being targeted during the session. For younger children, we use a combination of parent/caregiver coaching and direct intervention. Direct intervention with the child will require a parent or another adult to be present to help facilitate the activities. For parent coaching, parents will be interacting with their child while being guided by the SLP (much like in-person sessions). Coaching is an excellent way for parents to learn and practice how to support their child’s speech and language development. It is also a way for parents to understand how to increase opportunities for practice in their daily routines.