Telehealth and Online Speech Therapy
Telehealth and Online Speech Therapy
'I don't do technology.'
'My child won't sit still for Zoom.'
'My child is too young for telehealth.'
'That's too complex for me to learn.'
These are the most common concerns we hear at our practice. Once our parents have trialled Telehealth, they haven't looked back! As parents and caregivers, you know your child best. Online therapy allows us to make the most of your knowledge of your child. Browse this page to explore the benefits of Telehealth, and why it is so effective.
What are the benefits of Online Speech Therapy?
Convenience
No need to leave the house
More flexible appointment times
Reduced waitlist times
Enhanced safety - Reduced risk for illness as appointments conducted in your own home
Proven to be equally as effective as face-to-face intervention
Saves commute time and associated costs
Increased accessibility
Rural or Regional location; transport and/or mobility challenges
Greater satisfaction of therapy
Parent/caregiver empowerment
Family-centered practice
Why is Telehealth so effective?
Suppose a child who is 5 years old sleeps between 10 and 13 hours a day, as recommended by the Raising Children’s Network (Raising Children Network (Australia), 2006-2024). That equates to:
Up to 4000 hours sleeping a year
About 5000 hours awake each year
If a child sees a speech pathologist fortnightly for 45 minutes, that is 19 hours a year of direct intervention. This is compared to over 5000 hours a year with a parent and/or caregiver who is receiving speech pathology support specific to their child’s communication needs.
This is where we seriously need to consider the relative impact of the speech pathologist delivering the intervention one on one with the child, versus parent education.
What does a Speech Pathology Telehealth session look like?
Discussion about your child's communication skills across different environments and situations
(e.g., at home, at school, with siblings, when upset etc.)
Completion of questionnaires
Education on enhancing parent-child interaction
Gathering of home videos to better understand your childs communication, and to provide feedback on home strategies
Education on specific techniques related to language, speech clarity, Autism, social and literacy development
Direct intervention with the child
And much more!
Still not sure?
That's ok! We are here to give you any additional information you may need. Send us an enquiry and we can talk further about how we can best support you and your child.
Does online Speech Therapy work?
We have attached a document with further research and information for you to download and view. This document contains some of the current research on telehealth and speech therapy. It is not a comprehensive list of the research. Some of the research articles in this document were used to guide the information provided on this web page.