Aurora Speech Clinic, a speech therapy clinic serving Aurora and Newmarket, offers in person speech-language pathology and occupational therapy services. However, we also recognize the difficulty presented in attending in person therapy sessions for certain populations.
As part of our commitment to accessibility in treatment for as many individuals as possible, Aurora Speech Clinic is proud to offer speech teletherapy and occupational teletherapy services as well.
These are available for:
Below, please find more information on teletherapy services, or book your appointment today.
What Is Teletherapy?
Teletherapy, or virtual therapy, refers to therapeutic services offered virtually, via phone or video conferencing.
Many different types of teletherapy services may be offered, including speech therapy and occupational therapy.
Teletherapy predates the COVID-19 pandemic, but it grew in popularity during this time, as it allowed patients to continue accessing their practitioners.
Speech teletherapy and occupational teletherapy allows you to seek the therapy services you or your child needs from your own home or another convenient location.
Is Virtual Therapy Effective?
So far, the research on the effectiveness of virtual speech-language pathology treatments is limited, but promising.
A 2017 review by Wales, Skinner, and Hayman explored 19 different studies on speech teletherapy for children ages four to twelve. It found speech teletherapy to be as effective as in person interventions for a variety of speech disorders.
Meanwhile, A 2020 article by Dahl-popolizio et al found occupational teletherapy to be an effective intervention method for both physical and behavioural concerns for some populations.
Virtual therapy tends to have a higher rate of adherence, since you don’t need to travel for your therapy sessions. It also has a number of benefits specific to it, which you can read about further below.
Contact Aurora Speech Clinic today to find out if teletherapy is right for you or your child.
Benefits Of Speech Teletherapy And Occupational Teletherapy
Is speech teletherapy or occupational teletherapy the right choice for you?
Below, you’ll find more information clarifying its various benefits.
Accessibility For Rural Populations
While many in Ontario live in cities, 1.8 million people live in rural areas as of 2019. And while people in rural areas are no less likely to have speech, language, or motor skills disorders, they’re less likely to live near a speech-language pathology or occupational therapy clinic.
Teletherapy eliminates that barrier. So long as you have access to high speed internet, you can access the therapy services you need without having to make the long drive to the nearest major city.
At Aurora Speech Clinic, we can provide speech therapy and occupational therapy services to anybody who is a resident of Ontario.
Accessibility For People With Severe Health Conditions
While Aurora Speech Clinic is conveniently accessible by car and public transit, we recognize that isn’t always easy for everybody. In particular, if you or your child is immunocompromised, you may wish to minimize exposure to potentially harmful pathogens.
As well, certain speech disorders may trigger social anxiety and even agoraphobia, such as stuttering. And while a stutter reduction speech therapist can help, traveling to and from Aurora Speech Clinic may trigger your anxiety. Autistic people may also have a difficult time accessing speech therapy for autism spectrum disorder or other speech therapy areas of focus for similar reasons.
Those recovering from a stroke or traumatic brain injury, or who have mobility issues, may also find it difficult to travel.
By allowing you to access the therapy services you need from the comfort of your home, speech teletherapy and occupational teletherapy can help solve each of these barriers. That way, you can access the therapy services you need in a way that works best for you.
More Affordable For Everyone
While in person therapy and teletherapy services are both billed at the same rate, teletherapy eliminates your need to travel to and from Aurora Speech Clinic. This reduces your costs in travel. It may also allow you to take less time off work to access the therapy services you need.
This can also make it easier for you to fit your therapy appointments into your schedule.
Aurora Speech Clinic also offers 30 minute “mini sessions” exclusively through virtual teletherapy. This can further make treatment more cost effective.
Access Therapists With More Specific Training
There are certain disorders within the scope of practice of all speech-language pathologists. However, others may be outside the general scope of practice and therefore require more specific training.
As well, you may be in search of a speech-language pathologist with training in a specific treatment modality. This may be the case with specific speech therapy treatments for Parkinson’s disease, childhood apraxia of speech, or other conditions.
Online speech therapy sessions can help you access speech-language pathologists with more specific skillsets much more effectively.
It Can Be More Engaging
For the reasons mentioned above, and more, some patients find virtual therapy sessions to be more engaging.
By eliminating many of the distractions and stresses of traveling to and from a clinic, you or your child may find it easier to remain focused on your therapy session.
Frequently Asked Questions About Teletherapy
At time of writing, OHIP does not cover speech therapy or occupational therapy services in a private clinic, whether in person or via speech teletherapy.
However, most private insurance plans will cover both as teletherapy. Consult your individual health insurance plan for more details.
If you’ve booked a speech teletherapy appointment, you’ll need access to a device with a microphone and a camera. Please ensure you’ve downloaded Zoom prior to your session, and test it to make sure it’s working properly.
Zoom has instructions on testing your video and your audio if you’re not sure how.
As well, please call from a relatively quiet space with a reliable internet connection.
If you’ve booked an occupational teletherapy appointment for your child, you’ll need the same things as for a speech teletherapy appointment. Please follow the instructions as outlined in the above section.
Beyond that, you’ll need to:
- Have a well lit space with room for your child to stand up, lie down, and move around
- Dress your child in comfortable clothing that’s easy to move around in
- Have something to prop up your device so your child can see their occupational therapist
You may also need some additional equipment (resistance bands or foam rollers, for example). Your pediatric occupational therapist will discuss this with you prior to your child’s session.