Here’s why you should consider virtual speech therapy for your child
During the pandemic, many different aspects of life went digital—including school, work, medical appointments and happy hours. While we’ve (thankfully) been able to get back to most of those activities in real life, the shift to digital over the last few years showed us that some of the things we normally do in person can be just as effective online. Case-in-point: virtual speech therapy.
At Babbly, we’ve been supporting families through their children’s speech and language journeys, so we’ve seen the impact of virtual speech therapy firsthand. But, we still hear that some families are not sure about the digital format. Many have questions about whether virtual sessions will be the right fit for their child, so our team decided to do some research with Speech-Language Pathologists and parents whose children have attended speech therapy. We connected with 57 professionals and 108 parents to learn more about their experiences—and how virtual stacks up against in-person therapy. We also took a look at studies on virtual therapy, and there’s a strong case for going digital if your child needs support from a Speech-Language Pathologist. Here’s what we learned:
Virtual therapy is as effective as in-person therapy
Research shows that attending speech therapy virtually is as effective as attending in person. We took a look at two separate studies on the topic and learned that children in virtual speech therapy show similar progress over time as those in a traditional setting. One study comparing virtual and in-person speech therapy for 6-9 year-olds found that kids improved a similar amount in both virtual and in-person settings.
In another study, school-age children attending speech therapy in person and virtually showed 95% and 98% improvements respectively. And, attendance rates for both in-person and virtual therapy were similar.
Virtual therapy is a great option for parent coaching
When we spoke to Speech-Language Pathologists who have offered sessions both ways, more than 63% of specialists who are currently seeing clients virtually thought it was just as effective as in-person sessions. According to these practitioners, there are lots of different factors that can influence a parent’s decision to go for in-person or virtual therapy—but many suggested that parental involvement can benefit children in virtual speech therapy. When families opt for virtual therapy and pursue a parent coaching model, a Speech-Language Pathologist will work with both the parent and little one, equipping the parent with skills and strategies to help their child make progress. With this kind of intervention, virtual therapy is an effective option.
Of the 92 parents we spoke to whose children have participated in speech therapy in the last year, over 44% participated in virtual therapy, either as the only therapy or with in-person speech therapy as well. The majority of parents who chose virtual therapy were satisfied—and more than 70% of parents whose children were enrolled in virtual speech therapy were happy with the improvements they saw in their child’s language during that time.
If you’re looking to start speech therapy with your child, virtual parent coaching could be a great option for your family—especially if you’re juggling a busy schedule or want to cut down on commute time. At Babbly, we’re experts in virtual speech therapy. We partner you with a Speech Therapist who is accredited by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and specializes in children. You can book flexible sessions on your schedule and gain valuable skills and strategies you can easily use with your child every day.
As a parent, you are in the best position to make a difference for your little one. Get started today with a free consultation, and learn more about the benefits of Babbly’s virtual speech therapy sessions.
References
Coufal, K., Parham, D., Jakubowitz, M., Howell, C., & Reyes, J. (2018). Comparing traditional service delivery and telepractice for speech sound production using a functional outcome measure. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 27(1), 82-90.
Grogan-Johnson, S., Gabel, R. M., Taylor, J., Rowan, L. E., Alvares, R., & Schenker, J. (2011). A pilot exploration of speech sound disorder intervention delivered by telehealth to school–age children. International Journal of Telerehabilitation, 3(1), 31.