Summary: Special education services and distance learning. Does it work? The Covid-19 Crisis has closed schools and rehabilitation clinics. But that hasn’t stopped the need for services such as speech therapy, occupational therapy and physical therapy. Many schools and clinics have made the pivot to online therapy, or telehealth, in order to continue providing various therapies. But does it work? Is online therapy as effective as in person therapy? Can it be beneficial at all? Personally, I have made the switch to online therapy for about 90% of the children on my caseload, and so my answer to whether or not online therapy is effective is “yes” Some of the children I am working with, have actually made more progress working with me online, than when they were physically coming into the clinic for face to face therapy. However, as with anything in life, online therapy has both positives and negatives. Therefore, let’s explore both, to help you decide whether or not it is a good fit for your child. What’s Good About Online Therapy? First of all, online therapy is better than no therapy at all. I normally would not use phrase “it’s better than nothing” but in truth, during a pandemic when there are no other options, it is. Secondly, online therapy offers children face to face interaction with someone who is specifically there for them. Online therapists, just like therapists whom you would see face to face, are preparing lessons designed specifically for you child. Online therapy, provides your child with an opportunity to speak, converse with another person, ask questions and simply interact with someone outside of the family which is especially, if not more so, important during this time of social isolation. In addition, online therapy provides children, especially special needs children, with the stability and consistency that they need in order to thrive. With daily routines changing overnight, seeing the same therapist face to face, even if by computer, keeps the children in a routine and helps them adjust to this “new normal” we are living in. Therapists, like classroom teachers, most often become a big presence in children’s lives and in many cases, they become as close as a family member. It is important to note that many aspects of therapy, speech or occupational, are easily transferable to the “online therapy” format. In this day and age, most children are very well versed in anything involving electronics, so the majority of them will have very little trouble adapting to online therapy. What seems difficult to us as adults, is often very easily learned by children. Something that pleasantly surprised me, was that some of my most severe patients have adapted to online therapy easily, and actually seem to be enjoying it quite a bit. And lastly, online therapy eases a parent’s workload just a little. You get to stay home! You don’t have to get your child dressed and remember to leave the house with plenty of time to make it to your appointment. It takes seconds to “log on”, making it easier to keep appointments. In addition, you don’t have to worry about keeping brothers and sisters occupied in the waiting room while your child is in his or her session. Don’t forget, during this time, routines are what children (and even parents) are longing for the most. Having regular online therapy sessions will provide your child with some of the routine they are so desperately craving.
