Location shouldn’t be a barrier to receiving high-quality, effective support. That’s why we offer engaging, tailored online speech therapy for kids across Australia, helping them to express themselves, understand others and let their personality shine.
Our speech pathologists are skilled in delivering online therapy and use a range of digital tools and resources to help children achieve their goals from the comfort of home. Online speech therapy allows your child to build essential communication skills in a familiar and supportive environment, making learning both effective and enjoyable.
There are many benefits to online speech therapy for kids and families. Online speech therapy provides a flexible, effective, and personalised approach that works for the whole family. Some of the reasons teletherapy may be the perfect fit for your child include:
Convenience and familiarity of home: Online speech therapy allows your child to access professional support from home, making it easier to fit into your schedule. The familiar environment can help some children feel more safe, relaxed and focused so they can better engage with their therapist.
Relevant and practical: Our speech pathologists get a window into your child’s life at home and can use their favourite toys, items around the house and even any pets or siblings, providing fun and relevant opportunities for your child to practice their communication skills.
No parking, travel, or wait times: Say goodbye to stressful commutes, parking hassles, and sitting in waiting rooms — online speech therapy gives you back precious time, whether it’s preparing dinner, getting some housework off your to-do list or taking a moment for yourself.
Up-close interaction: Online speech therapy allows your child to see the speech pathologist up close on camera as they model specific speech and language skills. You can also take the speech pathologist with you anywhere in your house that your device can go.
Parent coaching: Teletherapy is just as much about supporting you as it is about supporting your child. Our speech pathologists coach parents in using evidence-based strategies so you can support your child’s development at home.
Telehealth experience: With over 5 years of telehealth experience, our team delivers fun, engaging, and effective online speech therapy sessions for kids and teens that are just as impactful as any face-to-face appointment, keeping your child motivated and supported.
In many ways our online speech therapy sessions work just like our face-to-face sessions. Our speech pathologists identify goals, develop a tailored therapy plan, plan sessions around your child’s needs and interests and measure progress at key stages throughout the therapy process. Here’s what to expect from your online speech therapy program:
We’ll send you an email with a Zoom link to join your therapist’s Zoom room. This link is unique to you, and you’ll use the same link to join your session every week. All you need is a good internet connection, a quiet space and a device – we recommend a laptop, desktop computer or iPad/tablet rather than a phone so your child can see the speech pathologist and any resources and activities shared on the screen.
The first online speech therapy session is all about getting to know you and your child. Your insights are crucial so we recommend that you’re available to join the whole of the first session with your child so your speech pathologist can ask questions to understand their challenges and needs. The speech pathologist will have a few fun and engaging activities prepared that are designed to build rapport and give them a sense of where your child is at in their development.
After your first session/s, the speech pathologist will work with you to identify and prioritise 3-5 goals to start working on in your sessions. Once these goals have been confirmed, they will develop a tailored therapy plan around your child’s goals, needs and interests.
Our speech pathologists plan fun and engaging teletherapy sessions for your child. This usually includes 2-3 activities targeting your child’s goals and interests. Online speech therapy is so versatile so we can design activities around the resources you have at home, use online games and apps, and create digital resources. Our speech pathologists are experienced in using native Zoom tools and simple online resources to help your child engage and learn- like screenshare, Google Docs, remote control screen and digital whiteboard.
During your child’s speech therapy session, there will also be time for parent consultation. Parent involvement is key to success in online speech therapy so we dedicate this time to providing you with evidence-based strategies and resources so you can continue practice in between sessions.
Tracking your child’s progress is an important part of the therapy process. We’ll check in with you during each session to keep up to date with what’s happening in your life and any changing priorities for your child and family. Your child’s progress will also be formally reviewed using different assessment tools after an agreed period, usually after each 12-week block of therapy.
As with any therapy, there is no one-size-fits all approach. There’s lots of emerging evidence to show that online speech therapy can be as effective as face-to-face speech therapy for many children. However, there are some cases where telehealth may not be suitable for your child or may not be the family’s preference for support.
If you are unsure whether online speech therapy is the right fit for your child, contact our Customer Support team to discuss your child’s specific needs.
Our speech pathologists do their best to ensure that online speech therapy sessions are fun and engaging for your child. There are some situations where your child may not be able to engage for the whole session or at all. This could be anything from feeling uncertain about meeting a new therapist to just not being able to sit and stay focused for the allocated appointment time on the day.
When your child isn’t able to participate fully in their online speech therapy session, we can use this time for parent consultation where you can get advice, problem-solve and gain strategies and activities to support your child’s speech and language development goals at home.
If your child is participating in online speech therapy, it’s important to create a dedicated space that’s quiet and distraction-free so your child can engage fully in their session.
Before your child’s session starts, check that your internet, camera, microphone and speakers are all working to ensure the session can run smoothly. For young children we ask that parents are available to support them for the whole session, and for older children who are independent with using Zoom, we ask parents to be within shouting distance so we can call for your help if needed and check in with you at the end of the session.