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What is telepractice?
Telepractice is the application of technology to the delivery of speech-language pathology services at a distance, linking the clinician and client for assessment, intervention, and/or consultation.
What telecommunication platform is used?
Telepractice sessions are conducted with interactive, live (audio and video) Zoom conferencing. SHC clinical sessions are conducted using a UA HIPAA Zoom account, which is private and secure.
Who will conduct the telepractice sessions?
Clinical sessions will be conducted by undergrad and graduate-level students under the supervision of a nationally certified Speech-Language Pathologist.
What do I need to be able to participate in telepractice sessions?
To participate in telepractice, you will need a computer, tablet, or smartphone with high-speed internet service, sufficient lighting, and privacy that is free from distractions.
Is telepractice covered by insurance?
Insurance companies did not cover telepractice speech-language, feeding, or literacy evaluations or treatment prior to COVID-19. Many insurance companies have temporarily expanded coverage for these services. The UA SHC will do its best to advise you of your insurance company’s current policies for telepractice coverage. We encourage all clients to verify coverage by calling the customer service number on the back of their insurance card.
Do young children make progress in therapy using telepractice?
Research shows that young children with communication disorders and their caregivers benefit from telepractice. In fact, some studies show that children who receive telepractice demonstrate similar outcomes as those who receive face to face therapy (Wainer et al., 2020; Wales et al., 2017). Research also demonstrates increased family engagement in treatment and higher levels of parent satisfaction with their children’s treatment outcomes as a result of telepractice (Cole et al., 2019; Vismara et al., 2018).
What role do parents play in telepractice?
Parental coaching is a critical component to telepractice with young children. Research states that parents increase their communication opportunities provided to the child and increase their responses to the child’s communication. Children also show increased communicative attempts (Douglas et al., 2018).