Advantages of Virtual Speech Therapy

One of the biggest advantages is the convenience. With online sessions, families don’t need to travel to an office or clinic and can engage in their sessions from the comfort of their own home. This is especially beneficial for busy families, those who are unable to leave their homes or travel, or those who have reduced access to in-person therapy due to their geographic location. At Aurora Speech Clinic, our clinicians are licensed to provide services to anyone in Ontario. We also have access to highly skilled clinicians who are located in other parts of province. Because of this, we have NO waitlist for our virtual services: even after school and on weekends!

Another benefit of virtual speech therapy is the ability to utilize a wider range of resources. Online sessions give speech-language pathologists access to a variety of digital tools and interactive games, which can be used to enhance the therapy and make it more engaging. Because virtual services require less time for the client to transition and settle into the session and less time is required for the clinician to set-up and clean-up a physical space, Aurora Speech Clinic also offers a 30 minute virtual “mini” session option that we do not offer in person.

Another obvious advantage to virtual speech therapy is the reduction of the risk of contracting or transmitting illnesses. It’s no surprise that children, and therapists working with many children, get sick frequently. This can be very disruptive to the therapy schedule and have a negative impact on progress. Virtual sessions tend to be cancelled less frequently, as they may continue when both parties are symptomatic but feeling well.

Additionally, many of our clinicians actually prefer assessing our toddler/preschool-aged late-talkers virtually. Why? Because the clinician can “be a fly on the wall” and is more likely to observe an accurate representation of the child’s abilities as they interact and communicate with their loved ones at home. Further, implementing caregiver mediated therapy programs such as More Than Words and It Takes Two to Talk, can be extremely effective online. These programs are designed to coach parents to maximize opportunities to interact and communicate throughout the day. Providing online coaching while the family is at home (versus in clinic) optimizes generalization and carryover- which are the ultimate goals of intervention.

Despite the many advantages of virtual speech therapy, some people are concerned that it may not be as effective as in-person services or they have unpleasant memories from virtual school during the pandemic. Rest assured, studies have shown that virtual speech therapy can be just as effective as in-person services in improving communication and speech skills and virtual therapy sessions are typically short, highly engaging and interactive.

Overall, virtual speech therapy is a convenient and effective way to access speech therapy services. With its many advantages, virtual speech therapy can be a great option for those looking to improve their communication skills.

Aurora Speech Clinic is located in Aurora, ON and offers personalized skilled intervention to those struggling with their speech and language skills. Services offered include screening, consultation, and comprehensive evaluation. We also provide one-on-one and/or group therapy for speech sound disorders, receptive/expressive language delay/disorder, stuttering/cluttering, accent reduction, and much more.