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How Virtual Speech Therapy Works: A Complete Guide

40 million Americans suffer from communication and speech disorders. Unfortunately, not every city or town has speech therapy readily available to help.

The good news is, through the use of online speech therapy, patients can get the help they need when they need it and from the comfort of their own home.

If you or someone you know is looking for the right form of speech therapy to help, read on for more information on online speech therapy options.

Do I Need Online Speech Therapy?

Before taking a closer look at online speech therapy, it’s important to know whether or not you suffer from a speech impediment and if therapy is the right choice for you.

Typically, a speech impediment can be diagnosed by age 5. However, if the child is more on the shy side or was a late developer, it could go unrecognized.

Unfortunately, the long a speech impediment goes without treatment, the more difficult it is to treat.

Some common symptoms to be on the lookout for include:

  • Repetition of specific sounds
  • Adding on additional words
  • Dragging out specific words or sounds
  • Ticks such as jerking, blinking, or making sudden movements while speaking

It’s important to remember that not all speech impediments can be cured. Some issues caused by strokes, facial or vocal cord paralysis or nodules may not benefit from speech therapy.

The Benefits of Online Speech Therapy

There are a number of benefits that come from choosing online speech therapy over traditional speech therapy. These benefits include:

Being Part of Something Bigger

For many people suffering from a speech impediment, it’s easy to feel alone in the struggle.

Through online speech therapy platforms, you can be part of a larger community of people that know exactly what you’re going through. Many of whom have been through the same thing themselves.

Your Life, Your Schedule

Kids, work schedules, school commitments. It can be difficult to dedicate yourself to the same time every week to attend speech therapy.

Fortunately, with online speech therapy, you can work on your speech impediment in your own time without having to worry about commuting or getting it all in.

You no longer have to worry about traveling for work or relocating and having to find a new therapist in a new town. You have the support you need wherever you go.

You Choose Your Therapist

You’re no longer limited to what’s in your area, or stuck with a therapist that doesn’t seem to be working for you.

With online speech therapy, you have a much larger pool of speech therapists available so you can find one that specializes in your unique need.

This also means you won’t have to skip a beat if your current therapist is unavailable or you’re transitioning to a new one.

Better for Your Wallet

Speech therapy costs can add up, but through online therapy sessions, you’ll save money on gas, fees, and will be able to find a speech therapist that fits your budget.

You can also choose a package size the best suits your needs and spread out sessions over time. Just remember, consistency is key.

Additional Benefits

If you are shy or suffer from a social disorder, online speech therapy can provide you the help you need without pushing you too far out of your comfort zone.

You’ll also be able to find online speech therapy for any age group, so you can work towards ending your speech impediment no matter how long you may have had it.

Giving Your Students Your All

If you’re working as a teacher or educational professional, chances are you are dedicated to giving your students every opportunity and advantage they need to succeed.

Unfortunately, school budgets don’t always allow for a speech therapy program, especially when it’s the minority of the children at school that suffer from a speech impediment.

Online speech therapy offers a budget-friendly tool that can provide your students with the help they need without having to bring on a full-time therapist or teacher.

The computer set up is also more engaging and can better motivate children to focus on their sessions. Most importantly, your students can easily access their sessions and practices no matter where they are.

How it Works

There are a number of ways that online speech therapy can be performed, and the style of practice will often depend on the age level.

Often a headset and microphone are used to practice reading out loud and dictation. The speech therapist joins the patient through live video calls, and may even provide additional work or practices for them to do on their own time.

Similar to your favorite video conference platform, the patient only needs a meeting ID to be able to jump onto their session from the comfort of their computer.

Tools and payment methods will vary from speech therapist to speech therapist, but will often involve paying for sessions in packages that can be scheduled ahead of time according to your availability.

The Right Choice for You

Whether you are a parent looking into online speech therapy for your child or are looking for sessions yourself, this is one option that can make a major impact in your life.

Finding a platform like greatspeech.com is essential to working with passionate and dedicated speech therapists from around the world.

Ready to take control of your speech impediment? Try online speech therapy for yourself by clicking the button below!

Contact us today for more information.

 

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