COVID-19 has transformed exactly how numerous Americans obtain speech treatment.

Households, much of which as soon as they obtain speech treatment in an institution or clinic-based setup, are accessing their speech therapists from the house through their video clip display at the click of a switch. Many speech therapists experienced with in-person delivery have been forced to adapt to this new modality quickly.

Adjustment isn’t straightforward. Many times it’s beneficial and necessary.

It can intuitively seem like speech therapy delivered virtually has trade-offs versus more traditional, in-person care. Is online speech therapy effective?

As it turns out, the trend toward online speech therapy has been snowballing for years. The truth is more and more families are electing online speech therapy every day.

In this write-up, we’re mosting likely to cover that when speech treatment is utilized appropriately on the internet, it can improve– not detract– your child’s progress and learning experience.

Increased Parent Involvement

A mountain of evidence and research suggests that when caregivers and parents participate in their child’s speech therapy care, they progress better towards their communication goals.

In schools, you often only hear directly from their speech therapist during their annual IEP (Individualized Education Program) meeting and have very few opportunities to stay in sync otherwise. Many times, in a clinic, you’re left sitting in a waiting room and may only have a few spare minutes to catch your therapist before their next session.

When speech therapy is delivered virtually, you have the opportunity to sit beside your child and follow along as your therapist provides their lesson. Does your child have a speech sound disorder and has trouble pronouncing their/ r/ words? Your therapist can help you identify the correct tongue placement required for proper pronunciation and provide helpful exercises to increase your child’s awareness of their mouth movements.

Did your child recently pronounce a new word correctly? Use a coherent sentence to express their needs? All of these progress points and challenges are important for your speech therapist to appropriately tailor their treatment plan to reflect your child’s strengths, deficiencies, and progress.

Effectiveness of Online Delivery

Study after study has shown that online speech therapy is as effective as traditional therapy. Your child is receiving speech therapy virtually doesn’t mean they have to sacrifice their level of care, progress towards their speech and language goals, and educational attainment.

Many of these studies used standardized tests, including GFTA-2 scores (Goldman-Fristoe Test of Articulation), to measure progress between two groups of students– one receiving in-person speech therapy and the other receiving online speech therapy. Two prominent studies, including those conducted by Kent State University and the Ohio Department of Public Education, found similar levels of progress regardless of the delivery method.

The interactivity of Virtual Learning

Children today are digital natives. They’ve grown up in a media-rich environment, which has changed how many children consume, process, and understands information. When these digital tools are used correctly and in moderation, they can enhance a child’s learning experience.

Online speech therapy plays into these strengths. Some standard techniques online speech therapists use include playing fun games that reinforce speech and language goals, using a variety of digital backgrounds, and giving children remote access to the whiteboard feature.

The truth is more and more families are electing online speech therapy every day. When speech therapy is delivered virtually, you have the opportunity to sit beside your child and follow along as your therapist gives their lesson. Does your child have a speech sound disorder and has trouble pronouncing their/ r/ words? All of these progress points and challenges are important for your speech therapist to appropriately tailor their treatment plan to reflect your child’s strengths, deficiencies, and progress.

Some standard techniques online speech therapists use include playing fun games that reinforce speech and language goals, using a variety of digital backgrounds, and giving children remote access to the whiteboard feature.