online work experience speech and language therapy

InFocus Charity, Exeter

The vision impairment & complex needs charity

News & Stories

How to get work experience in speech & language therapy.

Speech and language therapy is a crucial support service for our young people. That’s why at InFocus, we provide a total communication approach for students with vision impairment and other complex needs.

This helps individuals to develop connections, ensuring successful interactions, and supports information exchanges and conversations.

Examples include:

• Sign language
• Intensive interaction
• Objects of Reference
• Symbols & other visual supports

So if you’re interested in becoming a speech & language therapist, you may be wondering what skills you need. And can you get work experience to help develop your skills? We’ll cover all this and more in this article.

Can I get work experience in speech & language therapy?

Perhaps you want to see if speech and language therapy is the right path for your future career, or you are currently studying a college course or university degree and require work experience.

Sometimes it is possible to get work experience with your local NHS teams , however, these are very few and far apart and are difficult to get hold of.

However, there are some ways that you can gain work experience without having to apply directly to an organisation. You could try volunteering, doing placements or internships, or even applying for paid work experience.

Volunteering

There are many different types of volunteering opportunities available, including working as a volunteer teacher, helping out at one of our charity shops , or supporting vulnerable children through a youth group.

You can find out about volunteering opportunities by contacting your local council, which will have details on how to access them.

If you’re looking to gain work experience within speech and language therapy, then you might consider taking up a placement. 

Placements are often provided by organisations such as schools, colleges, universities, charities, and community groups.

They offer you the opportunity to gain relevant work experience in a particular field, whilst also giving you the chance to meet new people and make valuable contacts.

For example, you may be able to get experience as a language therapy assistant. This way, you can assist a trained therapist by observing their role.

It’s important to gain experience in specialist areas, such as autism and other learning disabilities. But don’t forget about the importance of gaining experience working in a mainstream classroom environment too.

This helps you prepare for working with children with additional needs later on down the road. You’ll find that you learn far more about teaching methods when you’re working alongside teachers who know what works best with each individual child.

If you decide to go straight into full-time employment once qualified, you may well find that there are opportunities for you to work in both a mainstream and specialist setting during your career. However, it’s always best to start off in a mainstream setting first.

Community Services

Volunteering with elderly people in a nursing home or retirement village gives you great insight into how a person might use communication aids and assistive technology. You learn about their needs and preferences to gain confidence in your ability to communicate effectively with this group.

Remember – Google is your best friend. A simple search can identify a whole host of opportunities in your local area.

Why consider a career in speech and language therapy?

Speech and language therapy is one of the most rewarding careers out there. You’ll be helping young people with disabilities improve their speech and communication skills, which can have a huge impact on their lives.

You’ll also learn new skills and gain valuable knowledge about the daily operations of speech and language therapy. This will help you develop your expertise in the area for the future.

What does a typical day at work look like for a speech & language therapist at InFocus?

A typical day may include:

• Meeting with our students to discuss their progress and plan future goals
• Working with children who need extra support with their speech and communication
• Assessing students using various assessment tools
• Providing advice and guidance to parents and carers
• Monitoring student progress through regular reviews

Therapy sessions usually involve one-to-one sessions, where students meet with a therapist several times over weeks or months. Some therapists work part-time, while others work full-time. However, some jobs may require you to work long hours, such as weekends or evenings.

What skills do you need to be a speech and language therapist?

Speech and language therapy is about helping people communicate better. This includes working with children and adults with disabilities and learning disorders.

It also requires skills and personal qualities, such as:

• Ability to listen carefully and understand different perspectives
• Good interpersonal skills
• Being patient, flexible and adaptable
• Working well under pressure
• Understanding the importance of confidentiality

Work experience at InFocus

If you’re looking to gain work experience in speech and language therapy, why not consider volunteering at InFocus? We can help you gain relevant experience in a range of settings to build and develop skills for speech and language therapy.

Furthermore, you can help us support young people with communication difficulties, allowing them to gain independence. For more information, please see our latest volunteering opportunities . Alternatively, you can email our team at [email protected].

• Professionals

If you would like to start supporting us, or perhaps have some ideas of your own, then why not get in touch. Email the fundraising team to start the conversation.

Get in touch

Get the latest news and events information from InFocus.

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How Can Online Speech Therapy Improve Your Life?

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Offering Free Consultations

Don’t think your child can engage in online speech or language  therapy? Our dedicated therapists will work with you to determine if we will be a good fit for your family. All at no cost to you.

If virtual therapy seems boring, think again. We use fun, interactive materials including a green screen to help your child learn to communicate better, all while having fun! We’ve helped dozens of clients receive quality, online speech therapy, and we can help you too!

About Disorders We Treat

Speech sound disorders.

Difficulty saying speech sounds

Omits sounds  

Hard to understand

Language Disorders

Difficulty understanding others

Challenges expressing themselves

Struggles to learn new information

Reading Disorders

Reads slowly and sounds out most words

Struggles to identify letter sounds 

Doesn’t comprehend what they read

Stuttering and Fluency Disorders

Repeats words or sounds Sounds get “stuck” when talking May feel anxious about stuttering

Social Language Disorders

Difficulty making or keeping friends Struggles with perspective taking Unable to pick up on social cues

Late or Delayed Talkers 

Problems expressing wants/needs Not babbling or talking  Speaking less than their peers

What Our Clients Are Saying

Speech Therapy From Home for All Ages

Does your loved one struggle with :

• Pronouncing words, saying certain sounds like “r” or “s”, or being understood?
• Telling you what they want or need, asking for help, answering questions like “who”, “what”, “where”, “when, or “why” or clearly sharing their ideas?
• Reading and writing words or sentences?
• Stuttering?
• Social skills and making friends?
• Saying their first words or speaking much later than other children their age?
• Difficulty understanding or saying things after having a stroke or a brain injury?
• Planning, organizing, or remembering information?

We can help! 

Why Choose Teletherapy?

Life is busy but speech therapy can’t wait.  With teletherapy it doesn’t have to. 

Online speech therapy is convenient and effective as proven by multiple research studies . You’ll save time and energy all while your loved one develops and practices skills in a more natural environment; home!  

Our dedicated therapists are skilled providers of online speech and language pathology. We work alongside our clients to help them reach their communication goals.

About Our Clinic Owner

Kathryn Mancewicz loves being a speech therapist and helping her clients every day! She holds a Master’s Degree in Speech-Language Pathology and has completed hundreds of continuing education hours. She holds a Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. 

Kathryn has worked in many settings, including private practice, schools, and hospitals. This gives her a unique perspective and experience that few other clinicians have. She strives to make therapy meaningful, enjoyable, and personalized for everyone she works with.

In her free time, Kathryn loves to read and write. She also loves spending time outdoors skiing, hiking, and playing with her dog, Luna. 

Where we Provide Speech Therapy

When you work with one of our skilled speech language pathologists, you’ll get therapy right from your home!

All you need to connect is a computer or tablet with a camera and microphone and a solid internet connection. Our therapists will provide the rest. Teletherapy may involve your speech therapist sharing materials on-screen, using a green screen, or even helping you use toys in your own home to support your child.

Moving Forward Speech Therapy Provides Virtual Services to Residents of the Following States:

• Florida – We Accept the Family Empowerment (Formerly Gardiner) Scholarship

Why Choose Moving Forward Speech Therapy

• We provide engaging therapy that will get your child moving, laughing, and playing all while their communication skills grow by leaps and bounds.
• Our clinicians have experience providing services to adults and children in hospitals and outpatient hospital clinics. Now you can get the expertise of a medical SLP from your very own home!
• Our therapists have years of speech teletherapy experience. Teletherapy means no driving, no sitting in a crowded waiting room, and no hassle!  
• We offer flexible scheduling to meet your needs at a time that is convenient for you. 
• Moving Forward Speech Therapy clinicians can address a variety of needs. If your child or your family member needs support in more than one area, we are here to help!
• Trained bilingual speech-language pathologists can serve clients of all ages in English and Spanish. 
• We are direct pay providers for the Gardiner Scholarship. If your child qualifies for Gardiner, we can provide them with services and bill Gardiner directly which means no out-of-pocket costs for you. 
• We specialize in reading disorders using a multi-sensory approach to helping your child. 

At this time we have immediate openings for evaluations and limited availability for therapy.

Considering a Career in Speech & Language Therapy?

Gaining work experience prior to applying to study Speech & Language Therapy (SLT)

Part of the pre-requisites for entry onto a SLT course is have considerable knowledge about what a speech & language therapist actually does and what skills & attributes are required. Gaining work experience with a speech & language therapist is one way of doing this. However, this might not always be possible for a number of reasons. So how can you gain experience and find out what SLT is really all about?

Draw on the experiences and skills you already have:

Direct observation of an SLT is not a pre-requisite as the universities are aware of time constraints faced by SLTs. However, showing an awareness of what the job entails and the skills required is vital. You must be able to demonstrate in your UCAS application and university interview that you have the basic pre-requisite skills required for the role, such having good inter-personal skills, being interested in people, having an ability to listen and to problem solve.

Unsure what skills are required?

A really useful book, ‘A career in Speech & Language Therapy’ by Janet Wright & Myra Kersner, describes in detail the personality traits & skills required to do the job. Once you have an idea of what is required, make a list of the skills and knowledge you have and another list of areas that need further development. This informative book contains worksheets to help with this process.

How can you do this?

There are many activities you can do to get started:

Draw upon your own experience:

Think about skills you use at school, when working, volunteering, undertaking hobbies and any other activities. Think again about what you know and can do, draw a mind-map of what you currently do and what skills are required to do that hobby, task or job. You might be surprised at how many skills you already have!

Develop you skills

A job or volunteering work experience working with others including working in a shop or café, volunteering or working in a nursing home, a library or a children’s group provide opportunities to communication with a diversity of people, even if they do not have a communication difficulty.

Learn more about the role of a SLT

There is plenty of information available on the internet:.

• https://www.rcslt.org/speech_and_language_therapy/careers/howtoqualify
• https://www.rcslt.org/speech_and_language_therapy/careers/work_experience
• https://www.prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles/speech-and-language-therapist

Watch YouTube clips of speech and language therapy in action. These can be very informative and inspiring:

–  http://s3.amazonaws.com/lsvt-global/videos/24347/SharonsRap_-_iPhone.mp4

–  https://www.lsvtglobal.com/news/video

Contact the local SLT department:

Even if they are unable to offer direct work experience, they might have a student or newly qualified graduate who would willingly chat to you about the course.

University open days :

Attend the SLT talks and visit the SLT stands to chat to the lecturers, even for universities you might not initially consider – keep an open mind; you will learn something new on each visit as each university has a different approach.

For a list of universities that offer pre and post-graduate training visit the RCSLT website:

– https://www.rcslt.org

Access related websites :

All charities have superb websites where you will find a plethora of information. Here are some associated charities:

MNDA, Parkinson’s, Afasic, Stroke Association, Autism UK, Cerebra, cerebral palsy.org.uk, Mencap, Alzheimer’s Society – but there are a lot more. These all have information about the types of patients SLT see and provide background around the types of communication and swallowing problems such people might experience.

There are lots of books, plays, novels and biographies around describing personal insights into communication difficulties. For example, ‘The Diving Bell and the Butterfly’ by Jean-Dominique Bauby, who chronicles life after a severe stroke left him only able to communicate through blinking an eye.

GOOD LUCK and ENJOY THE JOURNEY!

Sarah Buckley Therapies Ltd

Tailor-made speech and language therapy provision in southeast London

Work Experience

We are an independent speech and language therapy practice interested in driving forward our profession by supporting future clinicians. We do this by working with speech and language therapy students and offering a work experience programme.

Work experience programme 

We are currently offering a virtual work experience programme which will be held via Zoom. 

The workshops look at:

• Who Speech and Language Therapists work with
• What Speech and Language Therapist actually do
• A day in the life of a Speech and Language Therapist
• What are universities looking for

£50 (discounted to £35 for students)  

• Friday 24 November 2023
• Friday 22 March 2024
• Friday 28 June 2024

between 1pm and 4pm .

Please contact  [email protected]  for a booking form. 

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ONLINE SPEECH THERAPY FOR ADULTS

Receive highly specialist speech and language therapy via your computer or smartphone., accessible and effective, oak speech therapy provides tailored, evidence-based speech and language therapy for adults in the comfort of your home., make real progress, work collaboratively with your speech therapist to achieve personal speech, language, communication and swallowing goals..

Oak's Online speech and language therapy provides you or your loved one with a convenient way to easily reach a highly specialist speech and language therapist. Studies have shown that remote speech and language via teletherapy can be just as effective as in-person treatment with all the benefits of increased accessibility.

Free Initial Discussion

• An opportunity to briefly discuss your needs, find out more about the services available and see whether Oak Speech Therapy is a good fit
• Free introductory discussion
• With a qualified speech and language therapist
• Via email or phone
• Get in touch

Initial Assessment

• Your speech and language therapist will meet with you via video link and complete a comprehensive assessment of your difficulty and needs. You will have the opportunity to and
• Share in the process of setting goals for therapy
• Ask questions

Treatment Sessions

• A programme of sessions will be recommended based on your individualised speech therapy plan
• Information and resources will be provided via email

Oak Speech Therapy delivers high quality, effective speech and language therapy to meet your individual needs. Your speech and language therapist will design a tailored program of therapy drawing on years of experience and specialism. Your personalized speech and language therapy program will be carried out online using your home computer or smartphone.

Lead Therapist

Brenda Lyons is a UK and US licenced speech and language therapist with over 10 years of experience working with adults with communication and swallowing disorders. She is registered with the Health and Care Professions Council and is a member of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists. Additionally she has received her Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language Pathology from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and is a licensed speech-language pathologist with the New York State Education Department.

Brenda received her training in the UK gaining an undergraduate degree in Psychology and a masters degree in Language Pathology. She started her career in the Wolfson Neurorehabilitation Centre, a highly regarded neuro-rehabilitation center in London, treating adult clients with acquired brain injuries, strokes and progressive neurological conditions; later moving on to roles in acclaimed teaching hospital St Georges, and working with individuals with complex needs at The Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability. Embarking on a new phase in 2015, Brenda relocated to the USA and worked at the Mount Sinai Hospital in New York providing outpatient and inpatient speech and language therapy to adults within the innovative Rehabilitation Medicine service. Brenda has highly specialist skills and experience in areas including dysphagia, aphasia, cognitive communication difficulties, brain injury, stroke, voice, head and neck cancer, progressive neurological disorders and AAC (augmentative and alternative communication).

Brenda Lyons

Lead Speech and Language Therapist, Oak Speech Therapy

Specialities

What we can help with:

Impairment of language; impacting on spoken words, understanding of language, reading or writing.

Improve language, work on conversation, learn ways to support your loved one’s communication, explore AAC (augmentative and alternative communication). Benefit from highly skilled aphasia and apraxia of speech treatment.

Motor speech disorder; movements of the articulators (lips, tongue, mouth) are impacted making speech sound less clear.

Maximise intelligibility and precision of speech. Learn to use strategies consistently, receive skilled advice and support relating to AAC.

Disorder of voice; occurring when the movement or functioning of the vocal cords or some other aspect of vocal mechanics are impaired.

Work towards improved voice quality or loudness. Improve respiratory support. Treatment available for a range of voice diagnoses.

Cognitive communication disorder

Change or difficulty in aspects of thinking (cognition) and its impact on successful communication.

Explore and address changes in social communication, memory, attention, insight and judgement, problem solving.

Difficulties with swallowing food and or drink due to changes in structure or functioning of the muscles and movements required for swallowing.

Progress to oral feeding after non-oral feeding, benefit from exercise-based dysphagia rehabilitation.

Post stroke speech and language therapy for language, voice, cognitive and swallowing symptoms with emphasis on evidence-based approaches to treatment, education and involving family support as indicated.

Brain Injury

Speech therapy that draws on extensive neurorehabilitation expertise to assist with speech, voice, communication and swallowing goals post brain injury.

Progressive Neurological Conditions

Skilled speech or swallow therapy for MS, Parkinson’s disease, MND, Primary Progressive Aphasia, MSA, Progressive Supranuclear Palsy and others.

• Aphasia - Communication tip sheet
• Dysarthria - Pacing strategy
• Communication flip book template page 1 and 2
• Communication flip book template page 3 and 4
• Communication group COMING SOON
• Communication flip book pictures (everyday), more pics COMING SOON
• Communication flip book instructions, COMING SOON

Get in touch. We'd love to hear from you.

UK: +44 (0)203 906205 US: +1 (510) 519 4639

Diary of a Budding Speech Therapist

From application to graduation, follow me on my Speech Therapy journey!

How to get Work Experience in SLT

Something that seems to be a constant source of stress for hopeful SLT students is work experience. The application process for every university involves reflecting on your experience in some way, some won’t even consider your application unless you can boast 25 days of relevant experience, and the first question on everyone’s lips when meeting other interviewees is ‘how much experience do you have???’. Lack of experience is why I was unsuccessful in my first year of applying, and why many are put off by the application altogether. However, whilst extremely important if you want to gain a place on a competitive SLT course, it seems that relevant experience is pretty hard to get. I definitely struggled, and by no means do I have as much experience as many other applicants, but I thought I would share some tips I picked up in what has been a 3-year application process!

First of all, something I would say to any applicant is mention to as many people as physically possible that you are interested in SLT. You never know if someone’s sister, neighbour or cousin’s friend’s daughter’s Godson may work in SLT, and people are more likely to want to help you out if there is some sort of connection. I got my very first observation opportunity through my sister’s Godmother’s sister’s colleague (genuinely), so you never know who is going to have useful connections!

If you do manage to secure any experience with SLTs, mention to them that you are keen to get as much experience as you can, and they might be able to put you in contact with other people in the field. I got put in touch with a few SLTs in this way, and it’s another extremely handy way of gaining experience. Something that became apparent is that due to confidentiality, many SLTs find it difficult to arrange shadowing of them and their clients, but some were more than happy to arrange a chat with me, share any tips they had and answer any questions.

Another way I managed to get some shadowing experience was by contacting every single independent SLT I could find. I simply Googled ‘speech therapist near me’ and emailed every person who came up, begging for just a day’s experience. I must have emailed around 100 people in Brighton and London, and only managed to organise 2 days of experience, but it was worth it. Universities are aware that shadowing opportunities are hard to come by, so if you do manage to find some then that will add some weight to your application.

Something I have mentioned before is that I tried to get a position as a SLTA (Speech and Language Therapy Assistant). SLTAs work alongside SLTs and help make resources, do the admin work, set up therapy areas and sometimes deliver therapy to individuals or small groups, supervised by the SLT. Jobs are often advertised on the NHS website, and independent SLT companies will often hire SLTAs as well. However, I found these positions to be as competitive as the MSc courses, and I was never successful. It’s definitely worth applying though, as this sort of experience would look amazing on your application.

Many people are able to gain voluntary positions with organisations such as The Stroke Association, Sense, Headway, The National Autistic Society and other smaller, local charities for people with communication difficulties. I contacted quite a few organisations, but unfortunately never found anything in my area. Positions are always advertised on the organisations’ websites, and volunteering with people who may have suffered from strokes, head injuries or other communication impairments would give you loads to talk about in your application and interview.

Whilst specific experience with SLT is great, it is also useful to get as much experience as you can with SLT client groups, such as children and elderly people. I was able to spend some time in a primary school, working with children with communication difficulties as well as children with typically developing language. It’s great to show that you have some experience with relevant client groups and should give you loads to talk about in an interview.

My final bit of advice is that Google is your best friend! I spent hours looking for SLT experience and found some great opportunities such as a SLT workshop in Bromley and a SLT observation day with The Children’s Trust, just from searching relevant key words. It’s worth checking every so often, as websites might get updated with upcoming events that may be useful to you!

Whilst racking up the days of experience is great, it will mean very little to the universities unless you are able to reflect on what you have gained from it. You probably won’t get asked in an interview ‘how many hours of experience with children with autism do you have?’ but you might get asked for some specific examples of situations you encountered, how you handled them and what you learned from them. The main thing interviewers are looking for (in my opinion) is that you understand what is involved in working as a SLT, you are committed to qualifying and working as a SLT, and you are genuinely passionate and interested in it. Get this across and you should be fine.

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2 thoughts on “How to get Work Experience in SLT”

Hello! I would just like to say a massive thank you for this post. I am a first year Speech and Language Therapy student here in the UK and I am struggling to find any opportunity for work experience. This post helped me get a fresh look on what I am doing and offered really good suggestions, I’ll definitely try them out! I was getting discouraged and was even thinking of switching my course to something more employable, but this gave me hope!

Hello! I’m so glad it was helpful! Did you manage to get any work experience in the end?

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SPEECH THERAPY INTERACTIVE

WORK EXPERIENCE

At Speech Therapy Interactive, we take pride in our commitment in providing a client-centred approach, improving our clients quality of life and psychological wellbeing.

We are a practice that is interested in equality, diversity, inclusion and creating a better lives for all. We want to do this by educating and raising awareness re: the role of SLT, as research shows that one of the barriers to growth of the profession is that many people simply do not know about it. We want to grow our profession by supporting the development and learning of future clinicians. We do this by working with speech and language therapy students and offering work experience.

Work experience programme

We are currently offering a virtual work experience programme on the 8 th August 2022 which will be held via Zoom from 9-3pm.

The workshop will look at:  Who is a Speech and Language Therapist?  What Speech and Language Therapist’s actually do?  How to pursue a career in Speech and Language Therapy?  A day in the life of an Adult Speech and Language Therapist (Communication disorder/Dysphagia and the Role of SLT)  Assessment and management for patients with communication and swallowing difficulties Cost: £55 (£45 Early Bird Offer ends 5.8.22 ) When: 8 th August 2022 ( please contact us)

Please contact [email protected] to find out more or to book your place.

Online Speech Therapy: The Biggest Advantages for Speech-Language Pathologists

Let’s start by getting this out of the way: just like teletherapy isn’t perfect for every client, it’s not a great fit for every speech-language pathologist (SLP). We all have different working styles, skill sets, and preferences, and virtual service delivery doesn’t hit those high notes for everyone. That’s perfectly fine!

However, for SLPs considering the switch to teletherapy, or who want to supplement their existing caseload with online care, let’s cover some of its many advantages.

First, a quick note about my background. Before starting Expressable, I spent my career working in a variety of settings, including pediatric outpatient clinics, schools, early intervention, and home health. Over time I become frustrated by many of the limitations when providing conventional, in-person care. Once I discovered virtual speech therapy, I didn’t look back.

Improved access to care for clients

While everyone became an SLP for different reasons, it ultimately comes back to the joy, excitement, and pride we experience when helping others. Whether it’s hearing a client say their first word, nail that pesky / r / sound, overcome a fluency disorder, or regain their ability to communicate basic needs, the sense of accomplishment is unmatched. The work we do has life-changing potential, and the more people in need that have access to quality services, the better.

While all SLPs deserve to be compensated fairly, the truth is our services can be out of reach for many Americans. We’ve all dealt with heartbreak of insurance coverage denials and the painful cycle of re-authorizations. What’s more, out-of-pocket therapy costs can be unattainably expensive, and many of us have watched families struggle financially and make personal sacrifices to afford services. While  44 million Americans  are eligible for speech-language pathology services in the United States, nearly  45% of eligible children  aged 3-17 are not receiving treatment.  

Teletherapy can drastically reduce costs, helping reach more patients and expanding caseloads. At Expressable, for example, we don’t have to pay many of the typical expenses required to keep physical practices and clinics operational, such as rent, utilities, office supplies, furniture, overhead and administrative fees. Telepractices can pass these cost savings down to their patients, while still paying SLPs a generous salary, so more families can access quality care.

No more commuting (hooray!)

I live in Austin, Texas, and like many metropolitan cities around the country, traffic moves at a snail's pace. When working in home health, I can’t tell you how many times I’d drive 45 minutes to a client’s house only to realize they weren’t home or had canceled their appointment. Additionally, this commuting time needlessly fills your calendar, preventing you from treating more patients.

You got into speech therapy to spend quality time with patients and focus on their progress, not spend mindless hours sitting in a car. To me, this is one of the biggest lifestyle advantages of online speech therapy.

Scheduling flexibility

With online speech therapy, you often have greater control over your schedule and a wider range of appointment times. For example, many of the SLPs at Expressable have young children and prefer to schedule sessions around daycare or nap time. Others would prefer to break up their week by not working certain days. Some aren’t morning people, so prefer to set their availability starting at noon and don’t mind working evenings. These scheduling advantages also extend to families that have busy school and work schedules.

Whatever you prefer, teletherapy gives you greater flexibility in prioritizing your commitments and shaping your work week. This sense of freedom not only leads to peace of mind, but ensures you never lose sight of work-life balance.

Reduce your risk of illness

Let’s face it: going into an office everyday and working with kiddos can put SLPs at higher risk for getting sick. The COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated this risk, with consequences that can potentially be more severe. Not only does teletherapy reduce your exposure to illness, but it also protects your patients.

Improve your relationships with clients

I’m passionate about the role parents and caregivers play in reinforcing lessons and best practices at home to improve progress. This isn’t just born from my own experiences and observations.  Research  also supports the importance of parent involvement in reaching clinical goals.

Unfortunately, when I practiced speech therapy in alternative settings, this was one of my biggest pain points. In schools, my interactions with parents were extremely limited, usually for an hour or so during their annual IEP meeting. In a clinic, I saw parents briefly for a few minutes in the lobby after the session.

Teletherapy makes building and cultivating relationships with parents much easier. Because there’s more flexibility in appointment scheduling, parents and caregivers can more easily join the sessions alongside their child or loved ones. This makes it easier to engage and educate them so they can continue promoting speech and language goals at home throughout the week.

Comforts of home

My fridge, my music, my bathroom, my temperature controls, my workspace. Not trying to sound overly possessive here, but practicing therapy in a comfortable environment matters - both for you and your clients. As long as you’re able to stay focused and discourage distraction, you should revel in this increased flexibility: take an afternoon walk, do some mid-morning yoga, grab a snack, cuddle your dog.

Scope of care

As you know, speech therapy covers a very wide scope of care, including many diagnoses and ages. Everyone has clinical specialities as well as preferred populations they feel more comfortable and knowledgeable treating. Online speech therapy provides more flexibility in shaping your caseload to be as wide or narrow in scope as you’d like. By breaking down geographic limitations, this also ensures clients are paired with a speech therapist best suited to their needs.

Effective care

With every new and innovative model of care, questions naturally arise about its effectiveness. Teletherapy is no different .  

Yes, there are certain conditions that may benefit from the tactile interaction of in-person care, such as swallowing. And yes, transitioning to teletherapy requires an adjustment period for some SLPs.

However, a mound of  research   has shown that online speech therapy can be just as effective as traditional, in-person care. In fact, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) has recognized teletherapy as a valid means of service delivery for speech therapy disorders based on a strong body of evidence.

It’s our job as SLPs to be informed on how to effectively practice teletherapy, as well as educate our patients on expectations. Performed correctly, online speech therapy is a powerful tool in maintaining quality of care while expanding access to more families.

Discuss your communication needs with a speech therapist for free

More from online speech therapy.

Watch learning jump (leap! spring! hop!) from your sessions into the real world.

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Speech and language therapist

A day as a speech and language therapist

You've just qualified as a therapist, and help patients with a wide variety of speech and language difficulties.

Your day begins with a 21 year old man who had a severe head injury. When he woke up from a coma he couldn't talk and had difficulty eating, drinking and swallowing. You see him at home and have been helping him to increase his vocabulary, starting with the words that mean the most to him. After working with him for seven months, he can now hold a conversation with his friends.

You then meet up with a speech and language therapy friend in a mental health team working with young offenders. She's helping an 18 year old with poor communication, memory and social skills. This leads to him misunderstanding people, leading to aggressive behaviour. Group therapy helps focus his language and social skills and address his behaviour.

After lunch, you see a 12 year old girl who has been struggling at school. She finds it hard to understand her teachers and to answer questions in tests. You have been helping her find ways and techniques to support her learning. You have also been working with her teachers so they can better support her education.

At the end of the day, you write a report for a client with cerebral palsy and manage new referrals to your team.

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Expressable brings speech therapy into the home

Leanne Sherred, a pediatric speech therapist, has long encountered challenges putting caregiver-led therapy into practice in traditional care settings.

Research suggests that caregiver-led speech therapy, which involves training the caregivers of patients in skill-building therapeutic techniques to use at home, can be highly effective. But as Sherred observed in the course of her practice, therapists often have limited access to caregivers and face serious educational and tech roadblocks .

In 2020, around the start of the pandemic, Sherred saw an opportunity to attempt a new, tech-forward speech therapy care model, one that put caregivers “at the center of care” (in her words). She teamed up with Nick Barbara (Sherred’s spouse), Spencer Magloff and Ryan Hinojosa to found Expressable , a platform that offers one-on-one virtual sessions with speech language pathologists.

“Layered on top of Expressable’s synchronous care is a platform that includes multimedia home programming, interactive weekly practice activities, therapist SMS support and more,” Magloff, Expressable’s chief marketing officer, told TechCrunch in an interview. “With Expressable, speech therapy isn’t limited to one to two times per week, void of caregiver participation.”

Expressable is covered by some insurance plans (including Medicaid) but also offers private pay rates and accepts HSAs and FSAs . It matches patients with speech therapists who might be able to meet their needs and fit their schedules. The matched therapist develops a treatment plan and then regularly meets with the patient and/or their caregiver for online sessions.

Some aspects of the plan are designed to be done on the patient’s own time, through Exressable’s self-service platform. Patients and caregivers can track progress week-to-week toward goals and milestones in their individualized plans.

Expressable, which caters to both adult and child patients with conditions ranging from language disorders to speech delays, aphasia, stuttering and autism spectrum disorder, differentiated itself early from many other telehealth startups by hiring its health specialists as W2 employees as opposed to contractors. While this increased Expressable’s medical licensing burden, it positioned the company well to handle challenging speech cases, Magloff says, which often require intensive, years-long treatment plans.

“With Expressable, parents and caregivers become active members of their patient’s care team, extending care into the home and throughout the entire therapeutic progress for faster outcomes,” Magloff said.

The digital and telehealth sector enjoyed liberal access to capital in the height of the pandemic but has cooled noticeably. But Expressable is bucking the trend, earlier this week closing a $26 million Series B round led by HarbourVest Partners with participation from Digitalis Ventures, F-Prime Capital and Lerer Hippeau.

With $50 million in the bank, Expressable plans to make improvements to its care delivery model and core tech, expand its payer relationships and grow its network of therapists as well as its operational team. The company’s also experimenting with various forms of AI, Magloff says.

“There are a number of relevant AI use cases we’re currently exploring or adapting to improve the client experience,” he added. “These could help catalog common speech errors, reduce administrative burdens on clinicians and improve operational efficiency.”

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