When I began to offer teletherapy services, I wanted to make sure that my clients would be receiving treatment that was as good as in-person therapy. What I didn’t realize was that, in many cases, teletherapy could be even better than treatment in a brick-and-mortar location!
Teletherapy eliminates transportation concerns. Families who do not have access to a vehicle or reliable public transportation often struggle to make it to appointments on time, or at all. Teletherapy eliminates this concern.
Teletherapy reduces the hassle of trying to get an infant or toddler packed up in the car to drive to an appointment. Multiple this times the number of siblings who are tagging along, and you have a real savings of time and frustration for the parents!
Teletherapy eliminates the cost of gas by allowing families to attend sessions from the comfort of their own homes. With the price of gas these days, that’s no small thing!
Teletherapy reduces missed visits due to illness. When a child is slightly under the weather, families may hesitate to bring them in for an in-person therapy session. However, the child may be perfectly fine to participate in a therapy session from home. No germs spread, and no progress lost due to illness!
Teletherapy is an ideal solution for medically fragile patients. There is no need to pack up to travel to a clinic, and patients are protected from exposure to the many germs that love to live in places like hospitals, schools, and clinics.
Teletherapy helps parents apply goals to their everyday life. By using toys and materials in the client’s home, I am able to teach families to use everyday interactions to promote language. When families travel to a clinic, they’re using the clinic’s toys in the clinic’s space. It can be hard to see how to carry this over to the home, especially when families may not have a magnificent toy room like the therapy center. Teletherapy is a much more “real life” situation.
Teletherapy helps children generalize goals. Working on goals in a familiar environment at home eliminates the common complaint of, “He does it in therapy, but he never talks anywhere else” that I heard so often from parents when I was in a clinic-based setting.
Teletherapy is more familiar and comfortable for children and parents alike! We all work better when we’re feeling at home, so why not work on therapy techniques from the comfort of your living room? Some children clam up or become very nervous in a sterile clinic or hospital setting. Parents can feel intimidated having to navigate a complicated medical maze. Teletherapy allows families to try new things, take risks, and experience the joy of listening and spoken language in a place that feels right to them.
Teletherapy empowers parents and teen/adult clients to take control of their own progress. By providing clients with detailed lessons plans before the session, they always know exactly where they/ their child stand, what needs to be done, and how we are going to work together to achieve that goal.
Teletherapy gives patients a say in their treatment. I work together with families to design lesson plans that meet their needs and goals for their child. For teen and adult clients, I work to craft sessions that will have the greatest effect on their communication success.
Teletherapy gives patients a “behind the scenes” view of the therapy process. Patients receive a comprehensive report after every session detailing what happened and how to continue progressing throughout the week.
Teletherapy happens on your schedule. Unlike clinics that slot patients in for the same hour each week, I am able to offer clients flexible scheduling. Your time can change from week to week, and I also offer convenient evening and weekend appointments during times no in-person clinic would ever be open. For teen and adult clients, I can schedule aural rehabilitation sessions over a lunch break at work or during after school hours.
Teletherapy allows the whole family to be involved. Thanks to my videoconference technology, I am able to record sessions for family members who cannot be present or conference in family members in from multiple locations (e.g. if one parent is at home and the other is at work).
Teletherapy is economical. Because I do not have the expenses of a brick-and-mortar clinic (paying for building rental, air conditioning, electricity, etc.), I am able to pass that savings on to you and offer clients services at prices that average $25-$75 dollars less that other private practice Auditory Verbal Therapists.
Are you interested in finding out more about how teletherapy can help your family succeed? Contact me, I can help!
Elizabeth A. Rosenzweig 