Are you a speech-language pathologist (SLP) looking for new ways to reach your clients? Teletherapy offers a great way to connect with patients from the comfort of their own homes. It’s becoming increasingly popular among SLPs as it allows them to provide the same level of care they would normally provide in a face-to-face setting, while eliminating some of the time and expense of travel.
In this video I record a demo speech therapy session with a stuffed animal! Now, you can’t see my little “patient” who is a stuffed Piglet toy until a little time into the video, but it’s neat to see how I share PDFs and interact with them on the platform. I use Zoom, which I am not paid by, and I really like the platform a lot. They did not sponsor me in any way. After watching the video, please comment below with your questions!
Short Guide on How to do Speech Teletherapy:
- Make sure that you have the right equipment. That includes a newer computer or laptop (five years old or less is ideal) and headphones.
- Fast internet and a secure connection. Call your Internet Service Provider (ISP) to find out if you have the fastest available and if you don’t see, if you can sign up or try a free trial. I have the fastest possible through a bundle deal. I also dropped cable TV to save money and put all my resources towards high speed internet.
- Decide which platform works best for you and your patient—it could be Skype, Zoom, or another teleconferencing platform, but you must sign up for the Professional version because it must be HIPAA-compliant.
- Have a trial run. Set up a practice run to make sure that both you and the client can make the tech work and that everyone is comfortable and ready to begin.
- Finally, execute a personalized treatment plan tailored to the individual needs of each patient and use your skills as a SLP to deliver the care remotely. With these steps, you’ll be able to provide effective speech therapy services through teletherapy!