Teletherapy
Teletherapy Services for Student Success
Through a secure, HIPAA compliant telepractice platform, we deliver a variety of therapy services to pK-12 students across the country via high-quality, state-licensed therapists who are trained in providing services in an online environment. LEARN Academy’s® teletherapy services and interactive technology bridge the gaps in therapy services driven by distance, personnel shortages, transportation, or scheduling, allowing students to receive the therapy support they require regardless of locale.
LEARN’s teletherapy students receive the convenience of online intervention, without sacrificing quality nor efficacy of services. All student interventions and caseload management that would be completed by an onsite speech-language pathologist are also be completed by any clinicians providing telepractice services.
Moreover, our platform provides for real-time interaction and collaborations with teachers, staff, and parents to confirm that the skills that students develop in therapy carry over across all environments. Teletherapy services can effectively meet most students’ needs. Careful consideration is given to key factors which help determine those students who meet criteria to receive our services through a telepractice model. Once identified, a schedule is formulated based on age, grade, and need of the student to provide significant positive outcomes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Is Teletherapy Needed?
In the 1990’s teletherapy emerged as an important strategy in addressing the national shortage of SLPs. According to the ASHA 2000 Schools Survey, 51% of respondents reported a shortage of SLPs, particularly in rural and urban areas. Since then, speech Language Pathologists have long ranked at the top of job shortages. Shortages are not just experienced by rural districts – medium-to-large districts, as well as those with a high percentage of students on free-reduced price lunch, experience the greatest shortfalls. Exacerbating this trend are continued pressure on special education budgets, increased expectations of transparency and demonstrated effectiveness, and a growing need for bilingual SLPs.
We provide high-quality speech language pathology to all students in need regardless of their location, means, and primary language. Our partnership with school districts creates a tailored solution to best fit student needs, whether that is on-site, HD telepractice, or a combination of both. We even provide hybrid services utilizing your districts own on-site SLPs, allowing you to extend services to more students while mitigating your special education costs.
What Are The Benefits Of Teletherapy?
Telepractice allows for a variety of benefits including:
- Delivery of SLP services to areas that are difficult to staff on-site SLPs
- Delivery of specialized services such as bilingual SLPs
- Higher levels of transparency and quality assurance than traditional delivery
- The ability to involve parents in speech-language sessions and bridge home and school practice activities
Does Teletherapy Work?
Yes. Since the 1990’s researchers have compared the effectiveness of teletherapy and traditional on-site delivery. Research studies clearly support teletherapy as an effective method of delivering speech language pathology, and best practices are continuing to evolve as it becomes a standard mode of delivery. Telepractice is endorsed by ASHA and the State Board of Examiners for Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology.
What is the Student Experience During A Telepractice Session?
A session begins when the student logs into their dedicated telepractice session room and is greeted by their speech language pathologist (SLP). Depending on the student’s needs, they may receive services alone, or in a small group of 2-3 students. The SLP and student(s) see and hear each other through HD video cameras, and use either headsets or echo-cancelling speakerphones. Both the student and SLP will be able to see, hear, and interact in real time.
Prior to the start of the session, the SLP will have created a planning document that outlines the material to be covered during that session. Where appropriate, SLPs coordinate with classroom teachers to increase the impact of the therapy session. After chatting to get comfortable, the SLP will conduct exercises and games to address the student’s needs – as specified in the student’s IEP or learning plan. For the first session, the SLP may conduct some assessments to identify where best to concentrate their focus.
During a session, the SLP will generally have content and games loaded into the system for quick access. The SLP will provide a mix of activities and challenges to motivate and engage the student. If participating in a small group, the SLP will engage all students, often in a round robin experience. If appropriate, a teacher can separate students into breakout rooms. As the session progresses, the SLP records their SOAP notes on each student’s performance.
How Often Does A Student Have The Same Therapist?
LEARN Academy® will assign a student to a specific SLP upon enrollment. The student will continue to work with this same SLP throughout their therapy. In the case of an SLP absence, there will be a substitute SLP that works from a lesson previously prepared by the usual SLP.
Are Sessions And Student Data Confidential?
Yes, all sessions are secure and cannot be accessed without permission as specified by district and LEARN Academy® protocols.
Can LEARN Academy® Education Solutions Provide Bilingual SLPs?
We may be able to provide access to SLPs with additional skills such as bilingual, Signing Exact English (SEE), American Sign Language (ASL), and other special needs.
Does The SLP Receive Training In Telepractice?
Yes. All SLP’s receive training that includes:
- Fundamentals of telepractice
- Using telepractice tools and synchronous video conferencing
- Selecting, preparing, and using content
- Motivating and engaging students
- Basic technical troubleshooting
- Managing students in a telepractice environment
Does The School Need To Provide Support Staff?
Yes. Schools are expected to help each student login to each session and answer any basic questions. A teacher, computer lab monitor, teacher aide or other staff can provide this basic support. School staff will act primarily as monitors, as they do not need to actively participate during sessions. We expect the school to ensure that students are available to participate in each session.
Can School Officials Observe A Session?
Yes. There are two ways to observe sessions:
- Sessions can be recorded for later playback. Recorded sessions can only be accessed by approved personnel.
- Alternatively, our system allows participants to observe a session without participating.
How Do You Manage Session Quality?
One benefit of telepractice is the ability for LEARN Academy® to regularly conduct quality assurance reviews by monitoring live sessions and reviewing recorded sessions. LEARN Academy® is a learning organization focused on the continual improvement and growth of our staff. Our system allows quality assurance staff to monitor sessions and interact privately with the SLP during a session without interrupting instruction. Every SLP is monitored for quality assurance during their initial training period, and on a periodic basis.
