If you can’t get to speech therapy

by Kathy Kuhl

Money, time, and distance can make getting speech therapy difficult or impossible. Here are two alternatives:

Telepractice: Therapy over secure internet

At two conventions this spring, I met speech pathologists from Chesapeake Children’s Therapy Center.  Speech Language Pathologist Brooke Lambert, M.Ed, CCC-SLP, told me they are now “offering TELEPRACTICE- pediatric speech therapy via videoconferencing.  All speech therapists leading telepractice sessions are certified in Telepractice from the American Telemedicine Association and are experienced pediatric interventionists.”

Concerned about effectiveness and security?

“Many may say that Telepractice is simply “Skyping” with kids.  Chesapeake Children’s Therapy Center uses an encrypted program which safeguards HIPPA regulations and provides all clients with the ability to manipulate materials.  Throughout a session, children use annotation tools to draw on stimuli and use their own mouse to activate presented items and activities.  Another myth of Telepractice is that kids will not focus for an entire session. These authors have held successful sessions with children as young as two years old by using personalized and interactive materials.”

CCTC can only offer this service to clients in states where their SLPs are licensed. To learn more, click here and scroll down to the May 20, 2013, blog entry.

Straight Talk for those who absolutely cannot get to a therapist nor connect online

Doing speech therapy yourself sounds like do-it-yourself dentistry–a really bad idea. But for you who live in remote locations, NATHHAN.com (National Challenged Homeschoolers Associated Network) offers two volumes of Straight Talk, by Marisa J. Lapish, M.A. in Speech Pathology and Tom and Sherry Bushnell, Directors of NATHHAN. Learn more here. I urge families to consult with a licensed speech language pathologist and get expert help, even if all you can manage is one consultation.