With such a shortage of qualified Speech Therapists around the world, many people are turning to virtual therapy, but what does that look like? How does it work?
If you are looking for studies on the efficacy of virtual therapy, check out our blog, Do Virtual Special Education Services Really Work?
A good Speech Therapist will always start with an evaluation, if your child already has one, it’s always good to email your therapist a copy. If not, no worries, speech and language evaluations can be conducted virtually. For both evaluations and therapy, it’s important to have a quiet place for your child to work. Some children like to wear headphones and others don’t, it’s a personal preference and you can decide what works best for your child.
Is your child busy and likes to move a lot? No worries, virtual speech therapy is engaging and fun! Make sure your child has a desktop or laptop (or tablet with a stand) set firmly on a desk or table. For younger children or children with motor issues, it’s good to have a handheld mouse, or a touch screen to make participating easier.
Your Speech Therapist will find engaging online activities to use with your child. Your child will speak and listen, they may use the mouse or keyboard, they may use the video of themselves as a mirror to look at their tongue and lips for sounds, or facial expressions for social language. Many Speech Therapists use specific and targeted games to teach concepts, vocabulary, comprehension, articulation, social interaction and much more.
How much supervision your child needs during speech therapy depends on your child. Most children are able to focus and participate with no direct supervision, though it’s always important an adult is available for safety and any issues that may arise.
Younger and more involved children may need more support from an adult. A Speech Therapist may even suggest activities where she/he can guide the parent to teach concepts, for example playing legos on the floor to learn colors, sorting, and other concepts. A laptop or tablet can be easily set on the floor so the therapist can guide the virtual session which offers the opportunity for therapists to work closely with parents to train them how to help their children.
Virtual by design, Virtually ConnectEd has an extensive library of virtual speech therapy activities we use with children to keep them engaged and learning.
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