Teletherapy What is it? Can it work for me?
The private speech and language therapists at SpeechRight have always offered teletherapy but it has generally been with those clients who live outside Nottinghamshire/abroad. However, now with the coronavirus outbreak and the ensuing restrictions on social contacts and distancing, teletherapy is becoming our main means of meeting our clients’ speech and language therapy needs.
Teletherapy is using technology to link a SpeechRight private therapist with the client in a separate location i.e. their home. This prevents the risk of the private therapists and the client from catching/spreading the virus as there is no need to leave your home.
Private therapists at SpeechRight use ‘Zoom’ to connect with their clients. Zoom is GDPR compliant and data protected. It is a safe and secure environment for completing speech and language therapy sessions encrypting the information that is shared. Each SpeechRight private therapist also has a virtual ‘waiting room’ for the client to be admitted to the session and every client needs a password to enter. This ensures that nobody but the intended users can access the session.
Some adults may be concerned that they will not be able to manage setting up a Zoom session (especially if they are a technophobe like me!). However, do not worry, the process is very simple and easy to complete (even I managed to do it first time!). Only your SpeechRight private therapist needs a Zoom account, clients do not have to create an account or ‘join’ Zoom. All that is required is to download the Zoom mobile/tablet app or the Windows or Mac desktop application. This is easy, quick and free!
When it is time for your teletherapy session, you click on the Zoom link that your SpeechRight private therapist has emailed to you and you will then be taken into SpeechRight’s virtual clinic room on Zoom.
Obviously, for adults the assessment and therapy sessions are very similar to what happens in SpeechRight’s clinic but it is now done from the comfort of your home through a screen.
Lots of the companies who design the speech and language assessments are now ensuring their assessments can be completed online in light of the coronavirus. As the assessment is being completed, the SpeechRight private therapist can physically see you as well as the answer you choose, which means they do not miss any non-verbal clues you may be communicating to them.
For example, I am working with Tom (name changed for confidentiality) who is wanting to correct his lisp. We have been able to complete the Zoom sessions in the evening, around Tom’s work commitments and he has, therefore, been able to continue to make progress in achieving his ‘s’ sound during this coronavirus period. He is hopeful that when restrictions are lifted, his friends will notice a real improvement in his spoken communication.
Before any teletherapy session, your SpeechRight private therapist will send you any paper resources that you may need in the session. At the end of the appointment, your SpeechRight private therapist will discuss with you activities to practice following the session and will confirm this information in a written email sent to you at the end of the session.
If you have any further questions about teletherapy, please get in touch. If not, please use the ‘book appointment’ tab on the webpage to get your teletherapy session sorted so you can begin/continue their speech and language journey.