Online Speech Therapy

Do You Think Your Child Needs Speech Therapy?

Speech therapy for children is beneficial for communication problems related to speech, language, or a combination of speech and language problems. Auditory processing disorder is also a communication disorder. Your child may be struggling with very mild to very severe speech challenges, ranging from simple sound misarticulations to the complete inability to use speech and language to communicate.

There are many different speech and language disorders, with many different causes. You will find information about many of these disorders and causes in other specialty pages and blogs on this website. Feel free to explore!

Some causes of speech and language disorders in children are hearing loss, neurological disorders, intellectual disability, and psychiatric or psychological disorders. Remember, this is just a partial list of potential causes. And, equally important, the cause may be unknown, or it may not be related to any of these things! Many children experience delays in speech and/or language development for no apparent reason.

Here are some examples of speech and language problems that children may experience:

Articulation difficulties are the most common of the speech disorders. This is when a child has difficulty making some speech sounds and might substitute a different sound for the correct one ("wabbit" for "rabbit"). He may also leave out sounds, especially at the end of a word ("coa" for "coat") or distort the sounds ("shoe" sounds like "soo”). Some children may be able to make all or most of the speech sounds one at a time, but can't string the sounds together to make words or sentences.
Stuttering is when the flow (or fluency) of speech is disrupted. Stuttering may be characterized as repetitions of speech sounds, syllables, words, or phrases; blocks or hesitations before and/or during speaking; or prolonging or stretching speech sounds. A child may exhibit one or more of these speech behaviors.
If your child's voice doesn't sound "right" for age and gender, he or she might have a voice disorder.
Language problems can involve misunderstanding language or being unable to use language to express. Very generally, language problems can be in using or understanding words or sentences or being able to use language socially. Because language is so broad and complex, if you suspect your child might have a language problem, please refer to the language pages on this website and call me for more information!
Auditory processing describes what happens to sound in the brain after the ear hears it. Children with auditory processing disorders have difficulty processing or interpreting information that they hear. For example, if you say, "couch," your child may hear "cow.” You can see how this might be a problem if you say something like, "Put your coat on the couch."

Regardless of the nature of the problem or the cause, if your child is experiencing speech and/or language difficulty, it is very concerning. You want to do everything you can to help your child.

Yes, I'm Interested in Speech and Language Therapy for My Child

If your child has a speech and/or language problem, speech therapy is critical to helping your child. Of course, you want to get your child the help he or she needs, but, in the real world, a busy schedule can make access to speech therapy difficult.

Work schedules often make it almost impossible to bring a child to speech therapy sessions. Work often requires parents to enlist a variety of helpers to transport children to speech therapy sessions. The help of relatives, neighbors, and/or family friends may be necessary to get your child to speech therapy and may require weekly arranging and rearranging. Everyone is happy to help, if they can, but wouldn't it be nice if you didn't have to enlist help?
Between school and after-school activities, is it difficult to find enough time or the right time for speech therapy? Most families are very busy and often describe their lives as "crazy!" Sports, dance, piano, and all the other activities that enrich the life of your child are important. But these activities often require a lot of time and effort on the part of the family and, as a parent, you don't want to have to choose between the baseball he wants to play and the therapy you know he needs!

So, like most parents, you might be faced with the challenge of integrating speech therapy into your family's busy lifestyle without having to sacrifice something important. Parents and children need therapy models that fit their hectic schedules.

What is Teletherapy?

One-on-one, face-to-face online speech therapy between your child and me.

This safe, secure online program was designed by a speech-language pathologist specifically for internet speech therapy. It is identical to therapy your child would receive in the office or clinic; the only difference is the computer connection.

I am very excited to offer online speech and language therapy services to the families of north Texas! As we said, everyone is crazy-busy, which means you need a service delivery model that is suited to today's busy lifestyles. As we increasingly rely on our computers and devices to access information and services, online therapy has gained in popularity and is recognized by professional organizations and most insurance companies as a legitimate service delivery model.

I use a HIPAA-compliant online therapy program called TheraPlatform. This is important because federal law requires that all patient/client private and sensitive information be kept private and secure. You sign a stack of these papers every time you go to the doctor or any other medically-related provider, including a speech therapist. What this assures you is that no one can access your child’s therapy session or any of the sign-in information you enter. TheraPlatform is designed to be a safe and secure virtual therapy office. Your child's privacy and confidentiality are guaranteed.

TheraPlatform allows a flexible alternative to in-office speech therapy. Because there is no travel involved, we have a lot more flexibility in choosing the time and/or place for therapy. Wherever and whenever there's a computer and wifi, therapy is available. Morning, afternoon, evening, even Saturday sessions are often available. As I travel, I take my laptop and am ready for therapy! And, you can too!

Is Teletherapy Right for You and Your Child?

You may want to consider these benefits…

Attend therapy from anywhere, near or far...

With online sessions, distance is never an issue. There is no driving to and from a therapy session, possibly more than one time per week. This can be a huge benefit whether you’re across town or across the state!

Mobility is not an issue...

Mobility is not an issue since you and your child don’t have to leave home.

Flex-time for you and me...

I am able to work from my home computer too, so I can offer more session times after school and after work. There is even a Saturday option available! More scheduling flexibility is always a good thing, especially if you are juggling multiple after-school kid activities!

Again, you can attend therapy from anywhere...

You now have access to speech and language therapy services even though there isn’t a private practice speech therapist in your town or area. Many families live in rural areas and have been limited to school-based speech therapy service only; private therapy is now available to you and your child. It doesn't matter if you live in the city or on the farm! If you move, your child’s speech therapy can move with him or her! No disruption in services! Your child and I will have developed a special relationship that can continue, no matter where you are.

It's legitimate...

Online therapy is legal, ethical, and effective. It is recognized by the American Speech-Language-Hearing as an appropriate therapy delivery method and, of course, we, as speech therapists, must follow all professional policies, rules, and regulations when delivering online speech therapy. Multiple research studies have proven that online is just as effective as in-office or in-clinic therapy, so the quality is not diminished at all.

Medicaid and many private insurance companies pay for telehealth benefits. If there's a question or concern, I will contact your insurance company for confirmation.

...and everybody loves it

Parents love the convenience because online sessions eliminate the need to juggle work schedules, school schedules, and therapy schedules. Without digital therapy, many families find it almost impossible to manage and coordinate schedules to actually get their child to therapy on a regular basis. Teletherapy simplifies scheduling and allows your child to receive speech therapy consistently.

Kids absolutely love using technology for therapy; it is natural for them. This generation of children has never known a world without computers, so they are very efficient and right-at-home using computers. I've had more than one parent say, "Oh, (s)he loves anything computer!"

Exactly How Does Online Speech Therapy Work?

What technology do I need?

A computer PC or Mac (laptop or desktop). A mobile version of TheraPlatform is planned but won’t be available for a while. Your computer must have either a built in or external camera and microphone. You can use headphones with a microphone.
A strong internet connection (the minimum is 3 MB/second). You can test your internet speed using https://fast.com/ if you’re not sure.
The latest Google Chrome browser. If you don’t have Google Chrome browser or need to upgrade to the latest version, you can download it at https://www.google.com/chrome/browser/desktop/

Then What?

First, I will enter your child into TheraPlatform as a client and schedule a therapy session (a day and time that we have agreed on). I will require an email address to enter your child into the program.
As with our office speech therapy, your child will have a recurring therapy day and time, unless we need to reschedule.
Each week, before our session, you will receive the email that includes the link to access the therapy session. You or your child will sign in each time using the email you gave me, along with your password.
Click “Join Session.” That’s it!!

Postscript

Bottom line, online speech therapy is safe, convenient, fun, and effective!

Call me at 940-704-4324 for more information and to schedule a trial session for your child.

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