What is Speech and Language Therapy?

Speech & Language Therapy is much more than helping people with their speech! We can provide help in areas of:

Communication

• Expressive language skills – Being able to express yourself in a way that others can easily understand
• Receptive language skills – Understanding what others are saying
• Social communication skills – Using language to communicate in different ways (e.g. request, comment, ask questions), adjusting language  according to people or place and following the rules for conversation
• Cognitive-Communication skills – These skills include attention, memory, abstract reasoning, awareness and executive functions
• Alternative & Augmentative Communication (AAC) – Exploring different ways to understand and express yourself apart from or alongside speech
• Speech fluency / Stuttering
• Voice issues (e.g. hoarse voice)

Mealtimes

• Picky or restricted eating patterns
• Swallowing problems

What will happen when we first meet face-to-face?

During our initial assessment session, I will ask you questions to help me understand your concerns about your child, their communication/feeding/behaviour history and progress, and what you wish to gain from our time together. I may ask you to fill out some questionnaires to help me gain a better understanding of specific areas of your child’s development.

If your child is interested, I can assess their speech and language directly with them by talking with them, and use pictures/songs/games/my iPad to capture their interest. I may also ask you to talk to or play with your child while I observe. Often children may not like the pressure of ‘performing’ so I may request for you to send me videos of them doing certain tasks so I can see how they are in a more natural setting.

What will face-to-face sessions typically look like?

Depending on the age and readiness of your child, I will either be focused on equipping you to know how to help your child or working directly with them. Research shows coaching parents has been identified as best practice for an early intervention (EI) service rather than relying on therapist-child interaction time. Please refer to the table further below titled “Effectiveness of Parent Training/Coaching in Early Intervention” if you’d like to like to learn more about this approach.

How does online speech therapy work?

If you have access to good internet, it is very similar as seeing each other face-to-face but from the convenience of your phone, tablet or computer.

Depending on your child’s age, attention span and willingness to interact with me online, the primary purpose of follow-up sessions will be to equip you – the parent or caregiver – on how to support your child in reaching their therapy goals. With the use of pre-recorded videos (so I can give detailed feedback) and focused coaching time, you can be reassured that the only difference between online and face-to-face therapy is just the delivery approach.

If you only have access to good phone reception, I can call you (so no extra costs for you) and still be able to ask you questions about your child and if the child is willing, I can talk with them and informally assess their communication skills. I can still discuss with you what you’d like from therapy and what specific goals you’d like to work on with your child. With this delivery approach, we can still work on how you can support your child at home. We can discuss what’s working, what’s not working and what you can try with your child.

Why should I consider an online speech therapy service?

Firstly, it’s much more affordable! You can access high-quality speech therapy without the higher costs of seeing private speech therapist at a clinic or in your home. That’s because I don’t need to include travel, clinic space rent and other overhead costs in my therapy fees –  savings which I can pass onto you. This may also mean you could have more regular or frequent contact with me as your child requires.

Secondly, it’s convenient. You no longer need to find time to travel or wait at a clinic. You are no longer limited by the therapy services (or lack of) near your home. You no longer need to feel the urge to tidy up your house or rush back just before a therapist comes. You can immediately connect to your therapist from the comfort of your own home (or wherever you may be at the time – I’ve had families call me from a café, playground and beach), and at a time that is most convenient for you (e.g. mornings, evenings or even on your lunch break). Sometimes parents prefer evenings when their child is asleep so they can focus on our session. I can even be present when you want me to observe your child their dinner so I can give some tips on how to extend their feeding skills!

Will my child receive same level of care and attention as face-to-face?

Yes, they will! Although there are some concerns which do require a more hands-on approach to therapy, most communication, behaviour and feeding challenges can be effectively addressed online. The secret in achieving great outcomes lies with you being committed, curious and willing to try new strategies as I come alongside you and your family for your child’s communication and/or mealtime journey.

What research is out there that backs up what you’re saying?

Effectiveness of Telehealth (online) Therapy:

Article	Findings
Wales, D., Skinner, L., & Hayman, M. (2017). The Efficacy of Telehealth-Delivered Speech and Language Intervention for Primary School-Age Children: A Systematic Review. International journal of telerehabilitation, 9(1), 55–70. https://doi.org/10.5195/ijt.2017.6219	Telehealth is a promising service delivery method for delivering speech and language intervention services… with potential to improve access to SLP services for children living in geographically remote areas, reducing travel time and alleviating the detrimental effects of communication difficulties on education, social participation and employment.
Sutherland, R., Trembath, D. & Roberts, J. (2018) Telehealth and autism: A systematic search and review of the literature, International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 20(3), 324-336, https://doi.org/10.1080/17549507.2018.1465123	Results suggested that services delivered via telehealth were equivalent to services delivered face to face, and superior to comparison groups without telehealth sessions.

Effectiveness of Parent Training/Coaching in Early Intervention:

Article	Findings
Bearss, K., Burrell, T.L., Challa, S.A. et al. (2018). Feasibility of Parent Training via Telehealth for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Disruptive Behavior: A Demonstration Pilot. Journal of Autism Developmental Disorders 48, 1020–1030. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-017-3363-2	Parent training via telehealth was acceptable to parents and treatment could be delivered reliably by therapists.
Beaudoin, A. J., Sébire, G. & Couture M. (2019) Parent-mediated intervention tends to improve parent-child engagement, and behavioral outcomes of toddlers with ASD-positive screening: A randomized crossover trial, Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders 66, 101416, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rasd.2019.101416	This research showed improved parent-child interaction and improved social and motor skills in the toddlers when parents used strategies learned via coaching from their therapist.
Kronberg, J., Tierney, E., Wallisch, A., & Little, L. M. (2021). Early Intervention Service Delivery via Telehealth During COVID-19: A Research-Practice Partnership. International Journal of Telerehabilitation, 13(1). https://doi.org/10.5195/ijt.2021.6363	Coaching has been identified as a best practice for early intervention (EI) services provided through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part C. Results showed significant improvements in parent satisfaction, child performance, and goal attainment (all p<.01). Findings suggest that telehealth coaching procedures implemented by community-based EI providers resulted in improvements in caregiver identified goals for young children.
Baharav, E. & Reiser, C. (2010) Using Telepractice in Parent Training in Early Autism Telemedicine and e-Health 16(6).727-731. http://doi.org/10.1089/tmj.2010.0029	Results suggest that gains obtained in traditional therapy can be maintained and even exceeded in a treatment model that uses telepractice. Parents reported that they perceived telepractice sessions to be as valuable as those delivered directly by the clinician, felt comfortable using the technology, and were willing to continue intervention with their children at home.