Teletherapy

Five Useful Toys For Speech Teletherapy To Capture Attention

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girl in plaid dress playing with baby doll

Speech teletherapy provides an effective alternative for delivering speech-language intervention through digital platforms. By utilizing video conferencing tools, therapists can engage with children remotely, eliminating the need for physical travel to a clinic. This modality is particularly advantageous for families residing in remote areas or those with demanding schedules, offering a flexible and accessible solution for speech and language support.

Teletherapy closely mirrors the effectiveness of in-person sessions, with the added benefits of convenience and adaptability. It allows for the integration of interactive activities tailored to the child’s developmental needs, enhancing engagement and facilitating speech progress. Moreover, conducting therapy within the child’s familiar home environment can further support their comfort and learning.

Sample set up for speech teletherapy session

Key Takeaways

  • Speech teletherapy offers therapy through the internet.
  • It includes engaging activities and games for skill improvement.
  • Speech therapy is provided in a natural setting.

Benefits of Speech Teletherapy for Young Children

Speech teletherapy provides effective speech therapy services online, allowing a client to receive help from home or any location with internet access. Here are some key benefits:

  • Convenience: Therapy sessions are accessible from any location without the need for travel, seamlessly fitting into busy schedules. This approach also expands access to specialized professionals who may not be available locally.
  • Visual Support: Clients can view their own faces on camera, which enhances their ability to understand and replicate mouth movements during therapy.
  • Engaging Technology: Interactive tools and specific toys are employed to sustain client engagement and focus throughout the sessions.
  • Consistency: Teletherapy ensures the continuation of speech services even during times when clients may be unwell, promoting ongoing progress and stability in their therapy.

Specific Toys To Consider For Speech Teletherapy

Girl in plaid dress playing with baby doll, following a speech teletherapy session
Photo by Polesie Toys on Pexels.com

When using speech teletherapy with young children, engaging toys can be a powerful tool for building language skills. Let’s take a closer look at my top five:

Critter Vet Clinic

The B. Critter Clinic Toy Vet Play set sparks a child’s imagination through interactive, pretend play. This portable pet hospital comes with two plush animal friends and features six colorful room doors, each with a matching key. Fill the vacant doors with objects or pictures incorporating target speech sounds. I once placed a puppy in each space for more practice of this CVCV movement. Explore caring for furry patients using the included stethoscope, mirror, syringe, tweezers, and thermometer, all of which store neatly in a rooftop compartment. This engaging set helps reinforce core vocabulary such as “in,” “out,” “open,” and “close” while fostering creativity and language development.

Mini Presents With Surprises

Using the Learning Resources Counting Surprise Party toy in speech teletherapy can be highly engaging for children. Each colorful, numbered box contains a surprise toy, which adds an element of excitement to the session. As you open each present, you can encourage children to describe the toy inside, practicing descriptive words like “bear red” and “two more.” This playful approach keeps the child motivated and focused while developing important speech and language skills.

Alternatively, you could use plastic eggs with mini objects while practicing speech sounds. Opening each egg to reveal a surprise inside allows a child to work on words like “more”, “me”, shut”, and “done”. The best part about this option is you can use materials you likely have on hand!

Puzzles

The Melissa & Doug Hide and Seek Farm Wooden Activity Board is a fun and interactive toy designed to engage young children in speech teletherapy. The board features barn doors that open to reveal different farm animals. As the child uncovers each animal, they can practice naming it and making the corresponding animal sounds. This activity is excellent for reinforcing language skills, such as using words like “open,” “close,” “in,” “out,” “here,” and “there.”

Baby Dolls

Using baby dolls with feeding objects during speech teletherapy is an effective way to promote core vocabulary development. By engaging in pretend play, you can model and encourage the use of specific words like “eat,” “more,” and “done.” For example, when the baby doll is “eating,” you can emphasize the word “eat.” If the child wants to continue, you can prompt them to say “more,” and when the activity is finished, use “done.” If you need to grab their attention, then make the baby cry or burp! This approach not only reinforces these important words but also makes the learning process fun and relatable for young children.

Mr. Potato Head

This classic toy is excellent for building vocabulary, practicing following directions, and working on body parts and spatial concepts like “on,” “under,” or “next to.” Children can choose parts to create a serious or silly Mr. Potato Head. The biggest advantage of using this toy in speech teletherapy is that it eliminates the fine motor challenge, allowing clients to focus more on following directions and making requests.

Forming a line of mini toys in speech teletherapy
Photo by Markus Spiske on Pexels.com

Concluding Thoughts On Speech Teletherapy

In conclusion, speech teletherapy offers a versatile and effective way to deliver speech-language services to young children. It provides many of the benefits of traditional in-person sessions while adding the convenience of working from home. Through engaging digital tools, tantalizing toys, and visual feedback, therapists can keep children focused and motivated during sessions. Whether through playful activities with a Critter Vet Clinic or practicing core vocabulary with baby dolls, teletherapy promotes speech development in a flexible, supportive environment, ensuring continuous progress even when in-person visits aren’t possible.

(ReST) Rapid Syllable Transition Treatment for Apraxia- An SLP Guide

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array of nonsense words

Childhood apraxia of speech is a neurological disorder that impacts a child’s ability to plan and produce the precise movements necessary for clear speech. Imagine knowing what you want to say, but your brain struggles to coordinate the muscles to form the words. This is the reality for children facing apraxia. When conventional speech therapies don’t yield improvement, another treatment gaining attention for its focused approach is Rapid Syllable Transition Treatment (ReST).

ReST is an evidence-based treatment specifically designed to target the challenges that children aged 4-12 years with apraxia of speech face. It is most effective for children diagnosed with mild CAS without additional complications. Through a series of structured, high-intensity drills on complex syllable sequences, ReST helps to improve the planning and production of speech movements. While the regimen is intensive, it’s structured around the principles of motor learning to foster lasting changes in speech motor control.

Key Takeaways

  • ReST targets the speech motor planning difficulties in children with apraxia.
  • The treatment is intensive, leveraging motor learning principles for effective intervention.
  • Clear speech improvements typically occur following consistent ReST therapy sessions.

Exploring Rapid Syllable Transition Treatment (ReST)

Core Principles of ReST

Rest is based on the idea that intensive, targeted speech practice can significantly improve the speech clarity of kids with apraxia. According to The University of Sydney, ReST strives to improve three areas:

  1. Lexical stress (beats)
  2. Transitions (smoothness)
  3. Sounds

The ReST Methodology

Employing the ReST methodology involves a sequence of steps designed to help children master complex speech tasks:

  • Assessment: Determine the child’s unique speech needs.
  • Tailored Practice: Customize drills that focus on transitioning between syllables.
  • High-Intensity Training: Dedicate substantial time and repetition to ingrained new speech patterns.

Speech Pathologists use these methods across multiple sessions, aiming for gradual improvements and eventually, natural and spontaneous speech.

Efficacy and Outcomes of ReST

(ReST) Rapid Syllable Transition Treatment for Apraxia- An SLP Guide (array of nonsense words)

Research Evidence on ReST

Research into ReST is promising, revealing that it can be beneficial for children with apraxia of speech. Dive into the studies conducted by the University of Sydney, and you’ll find evidence supporting its efficacy, particularly when sessions are conducted at least twice a week. Another important piece is the Clinician Manual for ReST, which sheds light on the structured approach that the therapy follows—something you can explore via the university’s manual.

Long-term Benefits and Limitations

As for the long haul, you might want to know whether ReST has staying power for treating apraxia. The outcomes of the treatments indicate that benefits persist, although research on the very long-term results remains limited. Be aware that it isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. The comparison with the Nuffield Dyspraxia Programme found that different therapies might work better for different children.

Implementing ReST in Speech Therapy

When you’re incorporating Rapid Syllable Transition Treatment (ReST) into your practice, it’s about precision and adaptability. You’ll focus on helping kids with apraxia improve their speech transitions and prosody.

Strategies for Therapists

To succeed with ReST, your approach should be detailed and structured. Here’s what you need to keep in mind:

  1. Assessment: Ensure your client fits the criteria for Rapid Syllable Transition Treatment therapy before starting.
  2. Goal Setting: Aim for precise goals related to transition between syllables and stress patterns.
  3. Adaptive Feedback: Be immediate and consistent with your feedback to shape correct speech patterns.
  4. Intensity: ReST is intensive with clients needing to focus and attend for long periods.

Two Components

Teaching Phase: The clinician provides feedback on 100% of the child’s productions in the teaching phase. This lasts for 5-10 minutes. Once the child produces five correct productions, then the clinician advances to the practice phase.

Practice Phase: There is no teaching or feedback in the practice phase with the exception of stating “correct” or “incorrect” on 80% of productions in initial sessions. This feedback will eventually reduce to 20-30% of the time. SLPs select nonsense words at random. After 20-25 trial blocks, there is a 2 minute break. Nonsense words are utilized so the child is not accessing linguistic systems.

Utilize materials readily available from the ReST clinician manual which has a structured outline for varied drills tailored to different skill levels. Research has suggested implementing ReST twice weekly for 60 minutes across six weeks. No homework required. In fact, studies have revealed that parent/ caregiver training is not effective for ReST.

Frequently Asked Questions

If you’re looking into Rapid Syllable Transition Treatment for apraxia, you probably have a few questions. Let’s tackle some common ones to get you the straightforward facts you need.

How does ReST differ from other treatments for apraxia of speech?

ReST is distinct because it targets the precise and rapid transition between syllables in speech. This treatment contrasts with other apraxia therapies as it uses nonsense words so the child is not accessing linguistic systems.

What are some exercises in ReST therapy for apraxia?

Exercises in ReST therapy often involve practicing the pronunciation of complex, multisyllabic nonsense words at various speeds and intonations. Practicing this can improve the rhythmic and melodic aspects of speech, often disrupted in apraxia.

Are there any new approaches to apraxia treatment that have emerged recently?

While ReST is a contemporary approach, the speech therapy community is continually researching to refine and innovate apraxia treatments. Telehealth and combined clinician-parent delivery models are examples of new approaches that could offer more accessibility and reinforce learning outside of clinical settings.

What evidence supports the effectiveness of ReST for apraxia?

The effectiveness of ReST is supported by clinical trials that demonstrate positive outcomes in speech precision and fluency for children with apraxia. Consistent practice with ReST has been shown to lead to improvements in natural speech.

PROMPT Therapy- Useful for Childhood Apraxia of Speech

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Nanette Cote Providing Tactile PROMPT to Toddler

What is PROMPT Therapy?

PROMPT therapy is a dynamic, hands-on program for children with apraxia of speech in which the trained clinician shapes the movement of a child’s jaw, tongue, and lips using our hands in support of sound production.  Although the use of touch and movement is an integral component, PROMPT is more than just executing tactile support.  It is a program that incorporates all aspects of a child’s processing, understanding, and interaction.

PROMPT is an acronym for: Prompts for Restructuring Oral Muscular Phonetic Targets.

These areas of development, or domains, are known individually as: The Cognitive-Linguistic, (ability & language), Social-Emotional (socialization), and Physical-Sensory (muscle tone & senses) Domains. Together, these domains function in unison and influence each other to the extent that challenges in one area directly impact progress in another. This video for families on the PROMPT website visually explains the domains and PROMPT’s multifaceted treatment approach. Some children that may benefit from PROMPT include those diagnosed with motor speech disorders like apraxia and dysarthria, cerebral palsy, and autism. To determine if PROMPT is appropriate for your child, your clinician will begin with an observation and comprehensive evaluation.

Evaluation:

PROMPT is rooted in a Dynamic Systems Theory, meaning that clinicians must factor in cognitive, social, behavioral, sensory-motor, and physical influences on communication. Let us break these down into some specific questions that we as clinicians ask ourselves during a comprehensive assessment process:

  • Cognitive: What is the child’s ability to process sensory information and comprehend language? Does the child need visual schedules and/or other modifications and cues to learn new information? How should clinicians and parents’ scaffold, cue, and elicit language with the child?
  • Social: Do we need to work on establishing trust before diving into PROMPT? How does the child express his wants and needs (i.e., pointing, gestures, sounds?) How is the child’s non-verbal communication? What communicative intents does the child relay (i.e., greeting, requesting, commenting, responding to questions?) Is the child interested in engaging in communication and interactions with others?
  • Physical: What is the child’s skeletal system and muscle tone like? Do we need to provide additional supports in the environment to support skeletal and/or musculature issues? Does the child have difficulty with vision, hearing, tactile/touch?

System Analysis Observation (SAO) and Motor Speech Hierarchy (MSH):

In addition to collecting information from a parent interview, a PROMPT evaluation also includes analyzing the movements necessary for speech. These yes/no questions are based on typical speech development. Next, the clinician transfers the results to a visual representation to rate the severity of the speech disorder. The System Analysis Observation (SAO) and Motor Speech Hierarchy (MSH) provide us with practical information to develop a treatment plan.

PROMPT Therapy: Constructing a Strong Foundation

PROMPT Therapy- Useful for Childhood Apraxia of Speech (house lights turned on)

Marcus Neal, a PROMPT instructor, describes the Motor Speech Hierarchy as a well-built house with a strong foundation (jaw) necessary for sustaining the other structures (lips, tongue.) The jaw is the first articulator to develop, so we need to make sure that this foundation is ready to support sophisticated lip and tongue movements. Jaw stability and the ability to open our mouths in four graded levels (minimal to wide) helps us sequence movements for speech. In PROMPT, we incorporate vowels into a child’s practice because vowels shape jaw movements.

After completing a SAO, clinicians calculate percentages for each of these areas: tone, phonatory, mandibular (jaw), labial-facial (lips-face), lingual (tongue), sequenced movements, and prosody (inflections/intonation.) Next, we shade in the boxes for each of these areas on the MSH to help identify points of intervention. Given the fluid interaction between these Stages, we need to address three areas to work on immediately. While we cannot change a child’s tone, it is important to note limitations and consult with OTs and PTs for suggestions on improving posture.

After selecting three areas to prioritize, we develop goals and vocabulary lists to practice words/ phrases during functional activities. This list will include a variety of vowels, consonants, and blends with emphasis on core vocabulary. From the start, we blend words into phrases to work on prosody (intonation). So, we model and support with PROMPTs, “ma more!” or “go ma?” The reason for working on prosody early on is to help make speech movements fluid and vary communication intentions.

Service Delivery with PROMPT Therapy:

PROMPT Therapy- Useful for Childhood Apraxia of Speech (crop woman filling calendar for month)

Typically, young children with apraxia of speech benefit from at least two, 30-minute sessions. Depending on the degree of severity, services may range anywhere from a few months to several years. Other contributing factors that can impact longevity of services are medical conditions, cognition, social/pragmatic skills, sensory/tactile defensiveness, and comprehension delays.

Typical PROMPT Therapy Session:

If a child with apraxia of speech has limited verbal skills, then sessions will initially focus on using vowel sounds. As vocalizations increase, then PROMPT support shifts to productions of consonant sounds/words/phrases/sentences.

A typical 30-40 minute PROMPT session for apraxia of speech would proceed as follows:

  1. Greeting and set up (5-10 minutes)
  2. Motor phoneme warm-up reviewing the targeted words embedded in the session’s activities with 3-5 PROMPT supported repetitions per target. (5-10 minutes)
  3. Most sessions have 2-3 activities, each lasting 5-10 minutes. These activities incorporate pertinent aspects from the Domains reviewed above factoring in picture supports, timers, movement breaks, supported seating, and any other cues the child may need for success. Speech sound movements are worked on during play to help the child attach meaning and strengthen memory.
  4. Review home practice plan (5-10 minutes)

Here are some examples of activities that I have used for children with varying cognitive abilities during my PROMPT sessions:

  • early childhood: Toy Vet Play Set with word targets to address needs in tongue control and jaw movements (go, goes, take, push, home, help)
  • preschool: Play-Doh Kitchen Oven with words to help work on lips-face control with movements that require rounding lips (no, two, dough, do, “mo” for more)
  • elementary school-aged: Pop the Pirate Game practicing words that support improving jaw control, lip contact (pop, Bob, up, “hep” for help)
  • middle school-aged: Knock, knock jokes to address improving prosody (intonation) and tongue control (Who’s there? cat, kitten, bike, show)

PROMPT Therapy Supports:

PROMPT Therapy- Useful for Childhood Apraxia of Speech (Nanette Cote Providing Tactile PROMPT to Toddler)

There are four levels of PROMPT (Parameter, Surface, Complex, Syllable) with clinicians using at least 2-3 of these in one session. Here is a breakdown on each level and the type of support it provides a child:

Parameter: provides the most support you can offer through stabilizing/ moving the jaw and lips. There are 13 sounds supported at this level some of which include: h, p, b, m, sh, and vowels in words like “cat”, “father”, and “eat”.

Syllable: only used for consonant-vowel (CV) productions such as “go”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CiUVHjSvCvM
Demonstration of Syllable tactile for boo-boo

Complex: helps the child contract and/or tighten his tongue to produce consonants such as (r), blends (sh), and vowels.

Surface: these supports specifically help a child with placing articulators accurately, timing movements using rhythm and prosody, and transitioning from one sound movement to another to create words.

Demonstration of Complex and Surface tactile for /s/

PROMPT Therapy and Teletherapy:

PROMPT Therapy- Useful for Childhood Apraxia of Speech (child and parent looking at computer)

In 2020, PROMPT training for speech pathologists shifted from in person to virtual because of global shelter-in-place restrictions. The PROMPT Institute also developed specific training for clinicians using PROMPT via teletherapy. Parameter PROMPT offers the most support for a child and can be easily administered by a caregiver following a trained speech pathologist demonstration. Some surface PROMPTs can also be used in teletherapy with the clinician showing this support on herself, a doll, or willing assistant.

My hope in writing this post was to provide a thorough explanation of the dynamic intervention of PROMPT. This program is unlike any other that I have been trained in over the last two decades in the field of speech pathology, as I have witnessed tremendous success when applying this methodology with clients who have motor speech disorders. Both caregiver carryover and early intervention are crucial to these achievements, so please continue advocating for your child and seeking resources like the PROMPT website to further your knowledge and education.

If you want to find a speech pathologist in your area trained in PROMPT, then you can visit this link and conduct a search.

SPARK Cards: A First Person Review Of A Versatile Resource

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Original Spark Cards Kit

It’s always exciting for me to review a product, especially one as versatile as SPARK Cards!  I can appreciate the hard work involved in creating educational items and the effort needed in promoting the tool.  This is an honest review of how I found benefit in using SPARK Cards for sequencing in my private practice.  

SPARK Cards Pros

Over the years, I have used SPARK Cards in my home office and teletherapy sessions with good success across a wide variety of ages, abilities, and settings.  Some of my favorite features include:

  • Durable cardboard cards with a gloss finish to withstand being handled by many, little hands
  • Ability to use a dry erase marker to bring attention to teaching concepts
  • Functional stories that support making connections to daily living
  • Detailed descriptions for each card in a sequence to make session planning easier for the busy SLP and facilitate generalization of skills in the home setting
  • Hypothetical problem solving probes for each topic
  • Appropriate for children as young as four years old through middle school-aged clients

Teletherapy

I used these cards in teletherapy in two, different ways.  One of my clients is working towards sentence formulation for functional tasks, so I scanned and loaded the Going to the Library deck in sequential order so we could address his goal without taxing the activity with sequencing.  This particular deck is my favorite in the collection because we can talk about the library year round.  I also like that the library itself mirrors a dated one that has patrons returning and checking out books the old fashioned way by handing them to a librarian.  It’s a nice way to compare/contrast past and present features.  I added some humor to the activity by joking about seeing a ladder.  We addressed answering yes/no questions and problem solving in a lighthearted way that I feel improves engagement and attention in any task.
 
The second way that I used the sequencing cards was via my document camera.  Another virtual client needs to improve sequencing skills, so I took three at a time from the Making a Lemonade Stand deck to provide choices while addressing sequential ordering.  The three cards with kitchen backgrounds are my favorite ones in this series because I could again work on comparing/contrasting room features in the pictures to my client’s kitchen.  Making these kinds of connections helps strengthen memory skills and brings much more meaning to our language activity.  

Recommendations

While I LOVE the convenient portability of the SPARK collection and ease at which I can store it in my ever growing therapy closet, I would like to see the cards enlarged a little.  Some of the smaller features are missed in my office sessions as I cannot magnify or zoom in on the cards as I can online.  There is just so much fabulous detail in each card, that I would be saddened if my clients missed them.
I would highly recommend SPARK cards for home practice of all the above-mentioned language skills. Even children working on articulation goals could utilize this product, especially those needing drills at the sentence/conversational level.  Specifically, the acronym SPARK stands for the following language probes embedded in each sequencing deck:
 
Sequencing and sentence formulation
Predicting, problem solving, picture interpretation
Analyzing and answering ‘WH’ questions (WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE)
Retelling a story and reasoning skills
Knowledge of basic concepts and vocabulary

This comprehensive, affordable product promotes improving language skills at home. Since my original review, the developers launched more decks: SPARK collection 2 and SPARK Junior (appropriate for children 3 years and older).

Mastering Teletherapy for Early Intervention

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Mother with child in Teletherapy Session
By: Janet L. Courtney, MS, CCC/SLP
Founder and CEO of Lighthouse Therapy LLC
Lighthouse-therapy.com
I am excited to introduce Janet Courtney, CEO of Lighthouse Therapy LLC, a teletherapy company. With over 25 years’ experience, she’s passionate about mentoring and supporting others. You can find Janet’s blog at https://www.lighthouse-therapy.com/blog, contact her at Lighthouse at contact@lighthouse-therapy.com or call 888-642-0994.

Teletherapy for Early Intervention

“My son is two and he isn’t talking yet, is that normal?”  “Our one-year-old doesn’t feed herself and has trouble holding a spoon, is that normal?”  A teenage mom with a 2-year-old and a 3-year-old is feeling overwhelmed and doesn’t know how to handle her children’s bad behavior.  All these scenarios are great examples of children who will benefit from teletherapy for early intervention. The federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Part C, (IDEA) covers services for children and families from Birth through age 3.  The Preschool Program of Part B covers children for ages 3 to 5 (Section 619).  These programs mandate special education services to be provided to families and their children with developmental delays or disabilities.

Referrals

Who plays a role in spotting these issues in students? Referrals can come from different sources. Parents are usually the first to notice issues, but teachers or doctors may also notice delays. Seeking help is crucial as these services greatly impact a child’s development and future education. The first 5 years are critical for physical, social, communication, and academic development.
Referrals for Early Intervention or Preschool involve a team of professionals who create an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) or Individualized Education Program (IEP). The team composition depends on the child’s needs. Together with parents, team members outline concerns and services for the child and family. An IFSP, in particular, involves the entire family, emphasizing education and consultation. The program also sets goals related to the child’s development.

Groundwork for Success

Some parents and professionals may question how telepractice can meet children’s needs online and if it’s effective. Will it really work? How can therapists gather data for eligibility without being physically present? These are valid concerns that need addressing, especially regarding Early Intervention (EI) and Preschool services provided through telepractice. When a child is referred for these services, developmental assessments and parent/teacher questionnaires play a crucial role in understanding the child’s functioning. These assessments and interviews can be conducted via telephone or through the telepractice platform, often sent electronically. Lighthouse Therapy’s platform ensures safe and confidential sharing of information, reducing the risk of exposing Personal Health Information.

Online Video Conferencing

Portrait of cute girl listening to music on headphones while using laptop at homeTherapy sessions are conducted via online video conferencing, allowing flexibility for sessions in the child’s home or preschool classroom. Clinicians coach parents on targeted strategies, observe progress, and adjust techniques accordingly. In preschool, a support specialist or assistant aids the child in joining sessions. Through engaging activities and documentation cameras, therapists monitor and guide students effectively. Lighthouse Therapy’s platform is adaptable, ensuring a dynamic experience for all involved.

Parent Coaching in Teletherapy for Early Intervention

As therapists, it’s crucial to communicate clearly with parents and caregivers, offering practical strategies to enhance communication and learning at home. We teach parents how to emphasize key messages and directions, provide repetition and modeling for the child, and encourage recording interactions to track progress over time.
Wondering how to make teletherapy sessions successful for young children? SLPs plan multiple activities for a 30-minute session to maintain engagement. Themes, interactive videos, picture activities, and memory games keep sessions lively. Using stamps, drawings, and show-and-tell encourages communication skills.
For a FREE ebook that details parent coaching, please subscribe below:
Woman and child sitting on floor at library and looking at a book

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Developmental Links

It is important for the professionals to have access to developmental norms, so I have included a couple links:
Many areas of the country desperately need these services. Engaging telepractitioners will provide key services crucial to children’s future academic success.

Speech Teletherapy- Your SLP Questions Answered

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Man and young girl looking at computer during speech teletherapy

As you navigate the landscape of speech teletherapy, it’s essential to narrow down your options to a few companies that align with your goals and values. Once you’ve identified them, thorough research is key. Delve into their websites, seek input from colleagues, and leverage social media platforms to gather insights before scheduling interviews. Now, let’s address some common queries about teletherapy.

How many hours a week do you work in speech teletherapy?

I have worked for two companies and both required I work directly with clients for at least ten hours weekly.  Additionally, I receive compensation for time spent on billing, consulting with parents, writing IEPs, documenting, and planning sessions. I am compensated for late cancellations or no-shows. Typically, I bill 10-13 hours weekly for therapy and related tasks.

How many kids are on your caseload?

I have worked with children in virtual school settings, meaning that they are either home-schooled and/or participate in charter schools with fewer hours than traditional school settings.  Therefore, I typically have 9-10 clients on my caseload of 10 direct hours weekly.

How often are you paid for speech teletherapy?

I submit my bills on the last day of each month and then receive a direct deposit two weeks after invoicing.

Do you need to find your own clients?

No, if you contract with a company, then they assign you clients.  This was important for me when I first started in teletherapy. I knew I could do telepractice independently, but entering this new world, I preferred starting with a reputable company and relying on them for assignments.

How does speech teletherapy work?

Clients meet me in “my therapy room” by logging into a HIPPA-secured space.  We both need to use a device (laptop, iPad, Chromebook) with a webcam to see each other.

In addition to facilitating activity loading and data collection during sessions, most platforms offer a variety of interactive tools for engaging therapy experiences. These include circling answers, playing games with stamps, utilizing timers, and accessing video content for diverse speech and language tasks. Clients consistently find these features motivating and engaging, making it difficult to conclude sessions.

Do you need to be certified in other states?

Yes, as of right now, I need certification in the state I reside in and that of the client’s.  The companies that I have worked for reimburse me for certification and renewal fees for licensure in states where my clients reside.  

What are your contracted rates?

I can’t discuss salary, but some companies negotiate fees more than others. As a contract therapist, I anticipated lower reimbursement rates. My goal was to fill daily gaps and ensure steady income. Thus far, my contracts have fit both of those bills.

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