What is teletherapy?

Our world is constantly evolving. If I think back to when I was six years old, I can distinctly remember my mom putting a cassette tape into the boom box as my dad held the video camera to capture my sister and me dancing. How times have changed! I now can play any song within seconds, connect it wirelessly to any speaker, and take a video all from my phone.

These advances in technology are affecting our world in countless ways. When COVID-19 changed our everyday lives suddenly, many people relied on technology for communication, everyday errands, and even education. The field of healthcare is especially benefitting from these changes. In return, people all over the world are benefitting from telehealth. 

Telehealth, or teletherapy, is the application of telecommunications technology, such as a video or phone conference, to deliver healthcare professional services (ASHA). Those receiving speech language pathology services will often use video conferencing with their speech language pathologist in order to achieve their speech, language, and communication goals.

Why teletherapy?

There are many reasons why teletherapy could be a great fit for you and your child:

• The research proves that it works! Research on teletherapy has proven that children make progress comparable to in-person services, including progress in speech sound production, language production, language comprehension, stuttering, social skills, and reading.
• Your time. We live in a busy world and it sometimes seems like it may be impossible to leave your house. Teletherapy is done in your home at a time that works for you. This removes the time and hassle of driving to and from appointments 
• Parent interaction. Parents are welcome to join in on the session to increase your involvement in and understanding of your child's progress. This also increases your ability to help your child generalize their skills into everyday life.
• Minimal cancellations. Since there is no traveling involved, it is less likely that sessions are cancelled due to inclement weather or other travel surprises. 
• It's fun! Children typically love interacting with technology while working on their speech and language skills. There are many resources developed that allow for the use of engaging and interactive games 
• Safety. Teletherapy services are HIPAA compliant, meaning that your child's privacy is protected.

​

Are you interested in teletherapy speech and language services for your child? Contact us at ChatterBox Teletherapy to schedule a free consultation!