Making the Most of Telepractice - Tips for Parents
For many SLPs and parents, telepractice is the new normal. In all its glory of poor internet connections, delayed feedback, and cats walking across computer screens. Despite some of these annoyances, many of us are finding that telepractice is a totally feasible way to continue providing therapy for our clients, and there are actually some really great benefits to it. Whether we like it or not, we all need to figure out how to make it work.
The great news is that research has shown outcomes for treatment conducted via telepractice are similar to those of treatment delivered in person, and the American Speech-Language Hearing Association supports telepractice as an effective way to implement therapy.
One benefit of telepractice is that it may make the logistics of working therapy sessions into your child’s daily life easier. No more long drives to the clinic, or worrying about getting stuck in traffic. All you need to do is open up the computer and you’re ready for therapy. SLPs are also now able to provide therapy to children living in rural or remote areas where there are no services available nearby. We also know that children do better in therapy and have better outcomes when parents are involved, so you can take this change in service delivery as a great opportunity to become more involved in your child’s therapy! You are now, after all, going to be right next to your child (or at least very close by) during their therapy sessions. Depending on the age of your child and their goals in therapy, you might even be helping to facilitate therapy in partnership with your child’s SLP - what better way to get involved and find out first hand exactly what your child is working on!
But before we can all reap the benefits of this new mode of therapy delivery, we all need to put in some work on the front end to set ourselves up for success. Figuring out the logistics of telepractice as well as the expectations of everyone involved can be extremely helpful to do either prior to or during your first session. So here, I’d like to share some tips for parents (and SLPs!) to help get the most out of our telepractice sessions.
1. Establish open communication between you and your child’s SLP.
This step is crucial. First of all, be honest about what you can contribute to the therapy sessions. If your child’s SLP asks for you to sit next to your child for the entire session, but you have other little ones at home who need your attention, make sure the SLP is aware. Or maybe you work from home and can’t be present 100% of the time. These factors may impact how you schedule your sessions. By discussing this early on, you can work together to figure out a set-up that will work for you both. The SLP isn’t trying to be demanding, they are trying to set your child up for success. And you aren’t trying to avoid your child’s therapy sessions (because of course you want them to be successful!), but you likely have many other responsibilities at home. Your child’s SLP will work with you to determine what will work and what won’t.
Discussing this with your child’s SLP right off the bat will also help you to determine if teletherapy is a good fit for you. For many parents it’s simply not feasible to be present for the entire session, or there are other elements that won’t work for your child and your family.
2. Be very clear about expectations.
This is related to #1 - once you have established open communication, make sure you are aware of exactly what your child’s SLP is expecting of you. You should also be very clear about what you are anticipating or expecting of your child’s SLP. For example, some children benefit most from a parent-coaching model, meaning the SLP will be coaching YOU on how to facilitate strategies and techniques at home. This will depend on things like the child’s age and specific goals. This may also be something that is implemented for children who simply can’t attend to therapy delivered via a screen. So the SLP will work with you directly rather than working directly with your child. Being aware of this model at the beginning of therapy will be extremely important in its success. If you are uncomfortable with this type of therapy, discuss it with your SLP, and try to come to an agreement on a model that will work best for you both.
You should also make sure that your child is aware of the expectations for a teletherapy session. They need to understand that even though the SLP is on the computer screen, rather than sitting in front of them, there are expectations for following directions and attending to the therapy activities as much as possible. What is the SLP expecting? Does the child need to sit and attend for the entire session? Will the session include more drill based practice or is it play based? For very young children, an entire session of drill based practice is rarely feasible! If the child needs breaks or gets distracted, that’s ok. You and your SLP can figure out how to redirect and determine a practice to play ratio that is appropriate and works for everyone.
Be a partner with your child’s SLP. In many cases, children need some sort of behavior management or redirection, which is very tough to do from the other side of the screen, so often times we need your help! Make sure you are aware of this very early on in therapy.
3. Work with your SLP to tailor sessions to your child’s needs.
Remember that you know your child best. You know how they are likely to react to therapy delivered on the computer. Can your child sit in front of a computer screen for 50 minutes? Maybe not. Maybe 25 minutes would be better. Provide input to help your child’s SLP structure therapy so that your child can be successful. It’s not always possible for the SLP to change your child’s therapy schedule - remember they want the best for your child, but they are also juggling many clients on their caseload and may be dealing with administrative constraints on scheduling, amongst other things. However, feel free to bring this up and have a discussion about possible options.
Another area to consider here is the structure of the therapy sessions themselves and the activities your child’s SLP is using. In all therapy sessions, but especially over telepractice, SLPs are constantly striving to keep children involved, engaged, and most of all having fun in therapy sessions! It can be especially challenging to do this when we aren’t able to work with kids face to face. Therefore, it is especially important that you provide input about your child’s preferences and ideas for motivators during teletherapy sessions. You may want to discuss toys and materials that you can gather for your child beforehand which will lead to a more successful session.
Since we are only interacting with your child virtually, there may be details that we miss or things that are going on “behind the scenes” that we are not aware of. So please share! This will benefit your child and help you and your SLP to function as a team.
Also be sure to consider the best time of day for therapy for your child and your family. Will other children be home at a certain time of day? What is your schedule? Are there meetings or other tasks you need to attend to? When is your child at their best? There are clearly a lot of factors here, and we can’t always schedule sessions perfectly, but trying to find the best possible time will be extremely helpful.
4. Figure out the technology.
I know this is challenging! We’ve all had to deal with slow internet connections and frustrating frozen screens. BUT this is an important thing to consider before you start teletherapy. We don’t want technology to interfere with your child having a great session! First of all, what devices are available to use and which ones are best preferred by all - you, your child, and the SLP. Are there activities the SLP will be using that are easier to complete on a computer? Try to discuss this beforehand or in your first session. Maybe you don’t have a computer available and sessions will be completed on a tablet or phone. Make sure your SLP is aware so they can adjust the session to fit. What about internet issues? If you are finding this to be a challenge, can you limit streaming of games and videos by others in the house during the session? This may be something to consider when you determine the best time for scheduling your sessions. Obviously, this can’t always be avoided, but it is definitely something to think about!
5. Figure out the space and setting.
Where will your child be during teletherapy sessions? Do you have access to a quiet space where your child can sit and attend? Also consider what kind of session this will be - is the SLP working directly with the child only or is this a parent coaching session? For younger children you may need to set up a place on the floor where you can spread out some toys for play, and place the computer on a chair so the video captures you and your child. For older children, they may need a desk to sit at in an area free of distractions, if possible. If this isn’t possible and siblings will be present, or in the near vicinity, discuss this with your child’s SLP - maybe you can brainstorm ways to include siblings in the therapy session!
“Be a partner with your child’s SLP. ”
6. Most importantly - go with the flow!
This is key. Understand that sometimes all of the planning in the world won’t guarantee a perfect session. I think we all know that this applies to in person sessions too, but with everyone trying to navigate this new type of therapy, it’s especially important to recognize that things don’t always go as planned. Know that it’s ok to jump ship and try something new and different if what was planned isn’t working. This applies to your child’s SLP and to you! In many cases we need to follow the child’s lead in order to maintain a successful session.
Also, try to keep track of what is working and what isn’t working. This applies to what's working within your child’s therapy sessions and during the rest of the week. What strategies are the most helpful? Write these down so you can troubleshoot with your child’s SLP during your sessions. And be sure to share any successes you’ve had as well. We love hearing about the progress your child is making!
Remember that you are the expert on your child and you know your child best, so as SLPs we always want your input to help us in designing and implementing our therapy. This is especially important in telepractice.
Remember to be patient. Be patient with your child, with yourself, and with your child’s SLP. This is new for most of us and we are all doing our best to navigate it together. There will be good days and bad days, and that’s OK! Just know that everyone is working hard to help your child succeed.