Does Telepractice Really Work?
With nearly every type of business moving online, it’s easy to question whether telepractice really works. It’s a different kind of service altogether.
Telepractice, also known as teletherapy, online therapy, or remote learning, is a way of delivering special education services typically done face-to-face in an online setting.
Following school closures in early 2020, many school districts were forced to provide these services to their students online to ensure their education.
But Does Telepractice Really Work?
The short answer is yes!
For the majority of students, telepractice can be extremely successful. In fact, some studies are coming out demonstrating that telepractice can be more effective than traditional in-person services.
More and more organizations are now supporting telepractice, including the U.S. Department of Health and Resources, the Mayo Clinic, and a number of professional-level organizations such as the American Speech Language Hearing Association (ASHA). The key to successful telepractice, however, is making sure that your therapist or teacher knows how to set students up for success virtually.
What Makes a Successful Online Provider?
It’s crucial that your therapist or teacher has had specific training in how to use telepractice services for children.
They should know how to:
Structure evaluations
Keep students engaged and safe
Address common technical troubleshooting concerns
For example, a good online provider should know how to work with young children who get squiggly during sessions at a computer.
Can Telepractice Be Fun?
There are tons of great ways to make therapy engaging and fun for even very young children, from online games to green screens, and song and dance. We at Linguabilities make sure that our providers have extensive experience in all these areas upon hiring. Continuing education to support these skills is one of our top priorities. Knowing the online platform and how to engage with students virtually is so important to making these sessions a success (and a ton of fun!).
A Tip for Making Sure Telepractice Really Works for You
It's okay to feel overwhelmed when taking on online services because it’s not the norm for most districts, and of course, you want to ensure that your providers are effective and safe. With that being said, talking with a reputable online therapy company can help dissuade some of the fears you may have in taking on this new modality.
Need a Few More Reasons to Try Teletherapy?
Teletherapy will work well for you if:
- You have issues staffing your district with in-person providers and teachers
- Your students are missing in-person services because of school closures
- You want to reduce the travel time of your providers between schools
- You need better collaboration between your staff