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Online Speech Therapy

Doing speech therapy online (Telehealth) is fast becoming a widely available option in Australia, thanks to high speed Internet services and the national rollout of the National Broadband Network around the country. This is great news for people who struggle to attend face-to-face sessions, such as those who live in remote areas, lack mobility or need to be at home.

Braithwaite Speech and Learning offers online speech therapy for adults, teenagers and kids. If you have ever considered trying online speech therapy, here’s some information on how it works, the benefits and the conditions it can be used to treat.

What is online speech therapy?

Online speech therapy is speech therapy sessions delivered over the Internet. It works in a similar way to normal sessions, with the key difference being instead of sitting in the same room, the therapist and client interact with each other through a video conferencing platform such as Skype, FaceTime, Google or Zoom.

Online speech therapy should be delivered by a university-trained, certified practicing speech pathologist who is a member of Speech Pathology Australia, the profession’s governing body. Find out more about our dedicated team of Speech Pathologists.

What conditions does online speech therapy treat?

We offer online speech therapy services, and have been doing so with great success for some time. Some of the common conditions that have been successfully treated using online speech therapy include:

  • Developmental delays in children
  • Learning difficulties
  • Literacy difficulties
  • Speech sound difficulties and disorders
  • Problems with articulation
  • Stuttering and fluency
  • Speech problems related to stroke or brain injury, dementia, laryngeal cancer, cerebral palsy, intellectual disability, hearing loss and other conditions
  • Communication challenges associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder
  • Swallowing difficulties
  • Stuttering
  • Aphasia
  • Apraxia
  • Dysarthria
  • Receptive and expressive language disorders
  • Voice problems

Is doing speech therapy online as good as face-to-face therapy sessions?

Much of the published, peer-reviewed research shows that online or ‘telehealth’ speech therapy sessions produce outcomes that are equal to – in some cases, better than – standard face-to-face speech therapy, both for adults and children with speech and learning difficulties.

At Braithwaite Speech and Learning, we believe the best online speech therapy is driven by the same standard of excellence that underpins all of our face-to-face services. Our team of highly qualified pathologists also provide individualised treatment, even in an online environment. We assess each of our clients separately, and tailor our therapy to meet each person’s therapy goals.

What are the benefits of online speech therapy?

Online speech therapy session can have many benefits for a wide range of people, depending on your situation. For example:

  • You can access a treatment no matter where you are. Online speech therapy means that living in a geographically remote location, needing to stay at home, or experiencing difficulties with your mobility need not be a barrier when it comes to receiving the treatment you need. You can access a highly qualified and certified speech pathologist from anywhere – so long as you have an Internet connection.
  • Therapy sessions are convenient and flexible. Online sessions don’t require any travel time, making them more flexible and convenient for both clients, parents and carers. You can more easily fit an online session with one of our speech pathologists into your schedule, which can be helpful if you are juggling other appointments and ongoing therapies.
  • The technology used in online speech therapy can be highly engaging. Using a device for online therapy means digital technology can be used to make sessions more interactive and engaging, especially for kids and teenagers. Speech pathologists have an array of websites, apps, games and programs they can use to effectively deliver their treatment.
  • You can receive therapy in a familiar environment. Online therapy can be undertaken in the comfort of your home, where you (or your child or loved one) is most comfortable and at ease. Strong evidence supports the effectiveness of speech therapy interventions delivered in a person’s natural environment over a clinical setting, and can help them function better in their own space.

What do I need to participate in online speech therapy?

To take part in an online speech therapy session, you will need a computer or other device (e.g. an iPad) with a camera and audio. It may also be a good idea to have some headphones handy, so you don’t disturb the people around you.

How does your online speech therapy services work?

The first step is to book in your online speech therapy session, which you can do using the form below. Just before your session, your speech pathologist will send you a link inviting you to a Zoom meeting (if you don’t have Zoom, you can download the program for free before your scheduled session). The person receiving therapy (or their carer or parent) will then need to click on the link to take them to the meeting.

If the client is a younger child, they need to be sitting at a desk with their parent or carer to get the session going. If they are too young to sit at a desk, they will play with their carer while the therapist directs them in what to do or say.

Do you offer online speech therapy for kids?

The short answer is yes – absolutely! We also offer online speech therapy for toddlers. Research increasingly shows that telehealth speech pathology produces positive outcomes for children and adolescents who experience speech and sound disorders, language disorders and other conditions.

One of the benefits of using digital technology to provide online speech therapy for kids is the ability to treat kids in their own environment, where they feel most comfortable. We can involve parents and teach them how to interact with their child during play or conversation to support treatment. Digital technology also allows us to use other ways to engage kids, such as apps, games and interactive programs.

Do you offer online speech therapy for autism?

People living with autism often experience difficulties in communication, and how this impacts their life varies from person to person.

Online speech therapy for autism can help you communicate in more useful and functional ways by working with your strengths and focusing on the things you find challenging. It can help you:

  • Improve verbal, non-verbal and social communication
  • Respond to questions
  • Match emotions with the correct facial expression and understand body language
  • Learn to communicate using an alternative method
  • Strengthen the muscles in the mouth, jaw and neck
  • Make clearer speech sounds

Are online speech therapy sessions funded by the NDIS?

Speech therapy sessions (including online speech therapy services) is funded by the NDIS under Capacity Building Support. Braithwaite Speech and Learning is a registered NDIS speech pathology provider. For more information on how to access speech pathology on your plan, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.