After school and face-face speech therapy sessions were on hold amidst the rapid rise of COVID-19. Many families were concerned about the continuation of speech therapy services.
During this time Speech Specialists offered online speech therapy services to ensure that the progress that people were making was not hindered. Hence, our services that were provided by registered and experienced Speech Language Pathologists in the comfort of your home and/or office were offered even during such unprecedented times.
It is with great pleasure that we want to continue our online speech therapy services for the people of Canada simply because we know and understand the importance of making continuous progress in speech therapy.
Online speech therapy, often known as telepractice or teletherapy, is a type of therapy that allows people to receive speech and language therapy remotely using technology. Clients can receive therapy sessions via video conferencing platforms such as Skype, Zoom, or specialized teletherapy platforms rather than meeting with a speech-language pathologist (SLP) in person.
Because of technological advancements and the ease it provides, online speech therapy has grown in popularity and acceptance. It enables those who would have trouble obtaining traditional in-person treatment, such as those living in distant places, those with mobility issues, or those with hectic schedules, to get counseling services from the comfort of their own homes.
Online speech therapy sessions closely resemble in-person sessions, with the SLP conducting assessments, developing treatment plans, and delivering therapy activities tailored to the individual’s needs. The sessions may include activities like conversation practice, articulation exercises, language comprehension tasks, and interactive games. The SLP may also involve caregivers or family members in the sessions to enhance the generalization of skills into daily life.
Speech therapy over the web has several advantages including:
All you require is a computer with a camera, microphone, and an internet connection. Our Speech Language Pathologist will book the appointment and send you a link for the web conference platform. The platform is set up very well for therapy and ensures confidentiality and reliability for our clients.
Most insurance companies that we work with (including Sun Life and Great West Life a.k.a Canada Life) have sent out an email to let us know that they will cover web-based speech therapy services during this time and will treat it the same way as face-to-face visits. We are happy to work with individual clients to determine if their insurer will cover virtual visits.
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Online speech therapy can definitely be suitable for children as young as 4 years old however they would require more support from a parent or caregiver. For older children, parents may need to be in the nearby area but may not need to provide direct support.
Have more questions? Need us to go through your individual situation? Don’t hesitate to call us at 1-800 536-7173 or email us at info@speechspecialists.ca
