When I tell friends about teletherapy, the response is always inquisitive and positive. When I tell parents about teletherapy, they are open to learning about it but a little apprehensive because they are unsure of its effectiveness.
As the teletherapist, you have to make a judgment call and offer teletherapy to clients who you think will be good candidates for this modality. This is key in getting good responses from parents. Parents know their children best and sometimes they’re right about teletherapy not being the right fit for their child. Check out the teletherapy eligibility screener article for questions to ask yourself about your client’s ability to participate in teletherapy. Be honest. If you are feeling like teletherapy may or may not work for a particular client, talk to the parents about the pros and cons. Most of the time you will find that parents want to try it and would like for it to work!
Here are some ideas for you to use when talking to parents about using teletherapy as a modality for providing speech-language therapy:
- In my experience, most parents feel they have a better understanding of their child’s needs because they are so much more involved in therapy sessions.
- My clients achieve goals fast because they practice more at home.
- Students are highly motivated to complete speech and language activities on the computer.
- The use of teletherapy is supported by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
- The effectiveness of teletherapy is well documented and there is a growing body of research.
- I believe that your child would be a great candidate for this modality and we should give it a shot.
- Teletherapy is just as effective as in-person therapy for most speech-language disorders. I believe your child’s needs can be effectively met through this modality.
- Teletherapy is a wonderful modality for students who benefit from visual tasks.
- Paper and pencil tasks that are done during in-person sessions can all be done during teletherapy sessions.
- Teletherapy helps families attend therapy appointments more consistently because it removes driving time. You can receive, high-quality therapy while at home.
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