- can my child engage across a screen?
- will they learn anything - is this type of therapy effective?
- should my child be spending more time on a screen, as well as online school?
These are all really valid concerns as many children have struggled with remote learning for school. It has been difficult for students to clarify things they don't understand, and to produce written work independently. It has also been difficult for teachers to monitor and evaluate student engagement and progress.
The benefit of telehealth appointments, in contrast to online school, is that we are working 1:1. Each client has specific goals so data is gathered from each appointment, to track whether they are moving towards achieving those outcomes. This can be reassuring and motivating for the student, parents and speech pathologist. It also allows for a dynamic approach to learning - we can see if something isn't working and change what we do.
There are lots of ways to deliver therapy remotely, so that screen time is interactive, understanding is consistently monitored and independent work is achievable. The key to effective teletherapy is collaboration and communication, to bridge the gap between home and therapist.
In their systematic review of the research, ASHA found online Speech Pathology services "to be at least as effective as therapy delivered face-to-face, with both parent and client satisfaction reported". Concluding that "The findings from the seven reviewed studies revealed that telehealth is a promising method for treating children with speech and/or language difficulties."
Positive attitudes and experiences from clients' perspectives of online Speech Pathology have also been reported in the research. In their systematic review of the research, ASHA reported "All included studies indicated high levels of participant satisfaction with telehealth-delivered speech and language interventions."
While these are really positive findings, we all look forward to meeting in person whenever this is safe and geographically possible. See you soon I hope :)
The Efficacy of Telehealth-Delivered Speech and Language Intervention for Primary School-Age Children: A Systematic Review (asha.org)
A Scoping Review of Australian Allied Health Research in eHealth (asha.org)