Teletherapy
Teletherapy is the delivery of services, such as speech, occupational therapy, and mental health, through online communications. Students interact with licensed therapists through various technology devices and software connected by the Internet. Teletherapy has been used since the 1990s and has been shown to overcome the barriers of distance and shortage of therapists.
Teletherapy
Prior to the pandemic, many health plans and medicaid/medicare did not cover teletherapy. During the pandemic, these plans did cover teletherapy. When the public health emergency ends in May, 2023, there may be changes yet again.
The American Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA) has been supporting teletherapy since 2005. Their Telepractice: Overview site contains a host of useful information on speech therapy services delivered through teletherapy. ASHA is also tracking state provisions for telepractice. COVID-19: Tracking of State Laws and Regulations for School-Based Telepractice [PDF] is updated daily or as new information becomes available. Additionally, it may be helpful to know that the US Department of Education includes telepractice as an acceptable practice during the response to COVID. ASHA just released a news article on what the end of the public health emergency means for telepractice.
The International Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Foundation provides resources on teletherapy in the time of COVID.
Sometimes children need help in learning how to behave during teletherapy sessions. This visual support for expected social teleconference behaviors was developed by SpeechTechie and is great!