Virtual speech therapy, occupational therapy, and counseling have been around for a long time. Many parents and students were introduced to this method of therapy delivery during the pandemic, but this method of therapy delivery was used many years before 2020. Yet, a lot of myths remain about virtual services, which is also referred to as teletherapy, telehealth, virtual therapy, or telepractice. We’re going to debunk a few popular myths about virtual therapy in this post.
Myth #1: Screen time is bad for my child’s brain.
Truth: When your child is actively engaged, either with a virtual therapist or a parent who is being coached by a virtual therapist, they’re taking part in a social interaction. Social interactions are positive for brain development, because the child is actively participating and learning.
The screen time that parents and developmental specialists think of as “bad” is not interactive or participatory, such as silently watching a TV show or youtube videos. In these situations, your child is not interacting socially with a live person who is also responding and reacting back to them.
Myth #2: There’s no personal connection with virtual therapy.
Truth: At Fun First Therapy, your child is assigned a therapist for a length of time. Our therapists strive to create a friendly connection with the children we work with. We grow to know their likes and dislikes, their personality, and their sense of humor. Over the time we work with your child, we create a trusting relationship with them. There’s definitely a personal connection! This is important to us because that relationship helps encourage your child’s growth in speech therapy, OT, or counseling.
Yes, there are some large therapy companies who use a different therapist every session, and that personal connection is not made. That’s not our style!
Myth #3: Virtual therapy is only for emergency situations, like the pandemic.
Truth: Teletherapy was around long before the pandemic. The use of “videoconferencing” is thought to have started in the field of psychiatry in 1959 at the Nebraska Psychiatric Institute. By the 1990s, teletherapy had become more popular in the US and spread to other countries.
Myth #4: Virtual therapy isn’t private.
Truth: Virtual speech therapy, counseling, and occupational therapy are all considered to be healthcare and must adhere to HIPAA regulations. HIPAA is a federal law that ensures your health information is protected at a national standard to be kept private. All of the systems we use, such as Zoom, email, and data storage, obey strict HIPAA rules.
Myth #5: Virtual therapy doesn't work.
Truth: The effectiveness of virtual therapy has been studied since the 1990s. Many studies have confirmed that virtual speech therapy, occupational therapy, and social work/counseling are just as effective as in-person services. One study we read that reviewed 55 studies across 10 different health professions even stated that “[Teletherapy] was never found to be detrimental or less effective,” (Ogourtsova 2022).
Teletherapy is a valid service delivery model recognized by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, the American Occupational Therapy Association, and the National Association of Social Workers.
I hope you enjoyed this "funtastic" blog post!
-Amanda Sherman, M.S., CCC-SLP
Resources:
The History of Telepsychiatry. Alexander Von Hafften, M.D.
Coufal et al. (2018). Comparing Traditional Service Delivery and Telepractice for Speech Sound Production Using a Functional Outcome Measure. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology. https://pubs.asha.org/doi/10.1044/2017_AJSLP-16-0070
Feldhacker, D. R., Jewell, V. D., Jung LeSage, S., Collins, H., Lohman, H., & Russell, M. (2022). Telehealth interventions within the scope of occupational therapy practice: A systematic review. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 76(6), 7606205090.
Ogourtsova, T., Boychuck, Z., O’Donnell, M., Ahmed, S., Osman, G., & Majnemer, A. (2022). Telerehabilitation for Children and Youth with Developmental Disabilities and Their Families: A Systematic Review. Physical & Occupational Therapy In Pediatrics, 43(2), 129–175. https://doi.org/10.1080/01942638.2022.2106468
Wales D, Skinner L, Hayman M. The Efficacy of Telehealth-Delivered Speech and Language Intervention for Primary School-Age Children: A Systematic Review. Internationnal Journal of Telerehabilitation. 2017 Jun 29;9(1):55-70. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5546562/#sec22
Comments