Services

How does online therapy compare to face- to -face therapy?

A tricky one with no straightforward answers.  Families report many benefits to online therapy, as it can fit around their busy lives, allowing much more flexibility for length and timing of sessions.  Parents have also said they feel much more involved in the session, as the therapist coaches the parent through the activities at their own pace, rather than dominating and leading the session.  Parents then feel more confident to carry out the activities between sessions (or find they are remembering to use the strategies more often), so therapy happens even more frequently!  Online therapists also have a ‘window’ into families home lives which might otherwise not be possible.   Even on a home visit everyone is on ‘best behaviour’ – we have caught many moments that might not have happened when being the quiet observer at the beginning or end of a session!  Whether online therapy will work for you and your family is dependent on so many factors, but we’d urge you to give it a go before you decide – get in touch for an informal chat first, and let’s find out together.

How do I know if my child needs help with their speech or language?  

All children develop their speech and language skills at different rates, and every child is unique!  Instead of thinking about what’s ‘typical’ at each age, it can be more helpful to ask yourself some questions to find out if your child needs help to communicate...  

• Can they ask for things that they want?  
• Can they express their feelings and opinions?  
• Do they get frustrated by not being able to get their messages across?  
• Is your child able to understand and keep up with instructions or conversations?  

We are happy to have a chat with you about what speech and language therapy might be able to offer your child and the difference this might make to their communication at home and nursery/school.

My child has poor attention; will online therapy work for them?

Try it and see!  Some of the children we work with find it easier to stay focused, because the screen provides all the visual stimulus (such as pictures, videos, and games on the screen) without the need for distracting objects being taken in and out of bags in front of them, multiple pieces to fiddle with or pick up and look at… We adjust the length of the session to fit the attention span of the child, so if the child can focus for 10-15 minutes, that’s how long sessions will be to start with!  We can gradually build the length of sessions throughout the block.  This is a real bonus of online therapy, as there is no travel time or cost for families or the therapist, sessions can be the length that works for the child.  This could be multiple short sessions spaced throughout the week (e.g. 15 minute sessions on Monday, Wednesday and Friday) rather than one longer (45 minute) session – so much more effective for the child.

What do I need to get started with online therapy?

There’s very little you need.  As you’re already reading this, we assume you have a computer, tablet or phone?  It needs to have a webcam, microphone and speakers built in, which most do now.  If you’ve ever used Skype, Facetime, video called on Whatsapp or used another video conferencing system successfully, then it does.

We currently use Skype for sessions, which can be downloaded for free.  You will also need a reliable internet connection.  You’re then good to go!  

Optional extras: A printer for printing out resources we e-mail to you, and toys/games (depending on the age of your child) – we’ll always tell you in advance anything we need you to have ready your end for the sessions.

How can I enhance my child's language skills? 

Talk talk talk!

The more you talk about what you are doing, what you have done, what you are going to do, the more your child will pick up language.

For specific tips, tricks and great activities for building and enhancing language skills, stay tuned to our blog!