COVID-19 and Teletherapy

COVID-19 and Teletherapy

How long have we been in quarantine? Day 31?… Day 47?… Day 142? We’ve lost count. Our lives have been flipped upside down during this coronavirus pandemic. A task as simple as going to the grocery store, has become so complex and scary. An activity as common as going out to meet a friend, has become a rarity. If you’ve wondered, “when will our lives return back to ‘normal’?”, just know that you are not alone in that thought. Although there is no definitive answer to that common question, we hope you find comfort in knowing that Exceptional Speech Therapy (EST) is doing everything possible to meet your child’s needs, as well as all family members’. We are excited to announce that our highly-trained speech-language and occupational professionals have successfully taken on Teletherapy!

Teletherapy is essentially a session with a health provider that happens via technology, with video calls being the most common medium. Prior to launching teletherapy services in March 2020, our dedicated therapists took advantage of the perks that this advanced technological world has to offer, as they attended live-online seminars, collaborated with a multitude of professionals, and researched endlessly, in order to ensure the most effective, individualized, and exceptional treatment sessions and assessments, via teletherapy.

In the two months since EST began offering Teletherapy services, we are ecstatic to announce that it has been a tremendous success — highly credited to our dedicated families. To say that our families have gone above and beyond to adapting, would be an understatement. The team at EST is so excited to not only witness the devotion that our families have for their children’s development, but to also observe the progress in our children’s skills.

Many parents commonly feared a regression in developmental skills, but in actuality, families have reported significant progress! One parent explained, “we’ve seen so much progress in his language skills just being in the home setting”. Teletherapy has opened new doors, providing a chance for parents to be the therapists’ hands, using the exact strategies that are promoted in the clinic/school settings. Now more than ever before, parents are using evidence-based strategies to enhance all domains of child development, which increases carryover of learned skills into daily activities.

That being said, we fully recognize and empathize with parents that are balancing being full-time caretakers for their children, working from home, and also taking time for themselves (which is extremely important). It is immensely challenging. Many parents may also wonder: do I really have the time to be present during my child’s teletherapy sessions? Each situation is different, and the team at EST understands that families have to do what is best for them, during this unprecedented time. In no way, shape, or form, should a parent/family member feel pressure or guilt, if teletherapy is simply not possible, at this time. However, if you have any curiosity, we encourage you to try it out. Some children become so engaged with unique activities planned by our therapists, that the parents actually may feel like they are getting a little “break”.

Although the clinic has (temporarily) closed, another door has opened: teletherapy. It’s the silver living of the coronavirus pandemic, in our world at EST. As always, we want to offer our support, however we can. Please call 786-517-5649 or e-mail info@exceptionalspeechtherapy.com, if you are interested in or have questions (accepting new patients too!). Additionally, please find some helpful resources pertaining to the Coronavirus Crisis:

Expert Advice about how to balance work-life and being at home with your children: 

https://news.miami.edu/life/stories/2020/04/tips-help-work-from-home-with-children.html

How to talk to your kids about the coronavirus:  

https://childmind.org/article/talking-to-kids-about-the-coronavirus/

Self-Care during the Coronavirus Pandemic: 

https://childmind.org/article/self-care-in-the-time-of-coronavirus/

Andrea Scola, M.S., CF-SLP
Exceptional Speech Therapy Blog Writer

Contact Us

If you have any questions about speech therapy in Miami or Doral, Florida or would like to book an appointment for speech therapy, please call Exceptional Speech Therapy at 786.717.5649 or fill out the form below.

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