Remote instruction will remain a significant part of K-12 education, long after the COVID-19 is finally under control. “There’s no going back now,” said Pedro Martinez, superintendent of the 49,000-student public school system in San Antonio, Texas.
Voters in San Antonio recently approved a $90 million bond to pay for new technology–including cameras and microphones that will be used to broadcast teachers working from their classrooms into the homes of thousands of students learning remotely across the city. And the fate of online speech therapy will be no different.
But the question is, “Isn’t the quality of therapy being sacrificed on the altar of convenience and savings?” Or put another way, “Does online speech therapy compare to onsite.” Want the answer? Take a quick look at page 4 of Global Teletherapy’s Complete Guide to Online Speech Therapy.
There is a myth that online speech therapy is somehow inferior when compared to face-to-face speech therapy. However, there is no evidence in the research supporting this assertion. Over the past twenty years, the numerous studies that have been conducted, most notably by The Mayo Clinic and Kent State University, have shown that online speech therapy is on a par with on-site therapy.
In 2005, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and the American Telemedicine Association (ATA) independently corroborated and endorsed those findings. What must be understood is that the online venue and the wondrous digital tools utilized by clinicians aren’t meant to replace the one-on-one therapeutical interaction between clinician and child. They are merely there to enhance it.
Speech therapy was initially designed and remains within the domain of the therapist working intimately with the child; never to be exchanged for digital substitutes. Studies aside, ask the clients, the kids, what they think of online speech therapy. Having experienced the wonders of digital technology from a tender age, they love online video interactions. Their motivation, enthusiasm, and success say it all.
If you are interested in seeing how other prevalent online speech therapy myths like this one debunked and gain a clearer understanding of online speech therapy in general, click here for your free copy of our Complete Guide to Online Speech Therapy. And be sure to stay tuned to this blog for more invaluable information about online speech therapy
