FAQs about Teletherapy and Speech Therapy

PIVOT! That is exactly what all parents, children and Speech-Language Pathologists did in March 2020 when we began to stay at home during COVID-19.  Many parents and children began teletherapy without knowing what it was and how it would work.  To the surprise of many families, teletherapy has been fun, effective and engaging.  Below we answer questions families may have.

Frequently Asked Questions about Teletherapy:

- How does it work?

You and your child will register for our teletherapy system (Thera-Link) OR we can use FaceTime, GoogleMeetups, etc (this is available until the federal government institutes HIPAA compliance again).  Once your therapist schedules an appointment with you, you will receive an appointment reminder and link in your email.  At your appointment time, click on the link.

During the appointment, your therapist will have individualized activities and games to complete with your child.  Just like we do in person, your child's goals will be directly targeted through each activity we perform.  Our games and activities are interactive and interesting.  We are able to share our screen with you. All of our sessions involve a parent coaching component where we directly coach parents to assist with therapy.

-How will my child respond to someone working with them through a screen?

We find our clients and their families to be very resilient.  Children are often happy to see us on the computer and excited to "play" and complete their therapy session online.

- What set up does it require?

A computer, tablet or cell phone all work for teletherapy.  Headphones are also helpful but not mandatory.

-What can I do to assist my child and his/her therapist?

We ask that you talk to your child about teletherapy and what it will entail.  Telling your child about what their session will look like including playing games with the therapist, completing activities with the therapist and/or playing with a parent or caregiver (for parent coaching) is helpful.  It is important to prepare your child that their therapist will be on a screen and no in person.  

Additionally, remaining with your child during the teletherapy session is important.  Your therapist will be working with you and your child so you can carryover our techniques and strategies outside of the session.

-Will there be technological interruptions?

Yes!  This rarely happens but sometimes the internet connection is poor or online games/activities do not work.  We will always have a back up strategy for sessions that go awry.

We are offering teletherapy for any family in North or South Carolina.  We offer in-person sessions (using appropriate PPE and outside when we can) to the South Charlotte, Ballantyne, Pineville, Matthews, Waxhaw, Fort Mill and Indian Land areas.  Email us at actspeech@gmail.com to set up a consultation!