Sometimes waitlists for face to face therapy services are long; sometimes you can’t get to a clinic because of where it is or the time and cost it takes to get there; and sometimes you know your child is not going to cope with therapy sessions in an unfamiliar space. All of these are possible reasons why accessing telehealth therapy services at Kids That Go might suit you and your child!
What is telehealth and what does this look like?
We use technology widely in our daily lives to help us access, connect and learn. This can apply to therapy too.
- Therapy by telehealth usually involves the use of real time video connection between the allied health professional and you (or you and your child) to provide therapy, support, education, and parent coaching to work towards your child’s goals.
- Telehealth is also possible by taking a video of your child and sharing this with the allied health professional during or before a video call to review and discuss what is currently happening and identify strategies to help meet goals.
- Telehealth can also be done through phone support, usually providing coaching to parents / caregivers to identify strategies that will work towards goals.
- Telehealth is also a great tool for attending stakeholder meetings. This can include liaising with your child’s medical team, other allied health professionals, educational team and / or support workers, with the aim to work collaboratively.
What do you require?
- A computer, tablet or phone with camera and microphone.
- A stable internet connection on both ends!
- A quiet and confidential space to talk.
- Telehealth sessions can be run just with you as a parent/caregiver, or with your child and yourself. Working with younger children by telehealth does require support from you as parents! Sometimes the therapist may suggest you have some resources on hand to engage your child or get you to help your child engage or be involved. The therapist may also send you some resources before the session that you and your child can be working on together.
- Sometimes a treating allied health professional is alongside you at the time of the telehealth. The aim is for carry-over of specific skill developments in situations where they are the therapist working directly with your child.
- As children mature, it may be suitable to have the therapist engage directly with the child. You and your therapist will discuss and decide the best way to use telehealth to meet your child’s goals.
What are the benefits of telehealth?
What the research says about telehealth:
- Parents report telehealth is satisfying, easy to do, reliable and effective, convenient, improves parent – therapist communication, can involve both parents or other caregivers and allows therapists to better understand the home environment (Smith et al. 2023);
- In a study of the effectiveness of telehealth with people with autism, research showed that using technology to access telehealth therapy services can be equivalent to or better than face-to face services (Ellison et al, 2021);
- Parent coaching via Telehealth was found to significantly increase children’s participation in daily activities (Little et al,2018).
Our experience:
- From our clinical experience we know that Telehealth therapy services are effective; time efficient, reduce service costs (such as travel) to parents and can meet the therapy needs of many families.
- Telehealth enables children to feel comfortable in their home environments and can also allow a ‘tour’ of the home on video, if home visits are not possible due to location/distance and/or the cost of home sessions.
- Sometimes telehealth can be a component of the therapy provision. For example, parent coaching provided by telehealth alongside face to face individual or group sessions. Where this combination is possible it can be ideal, especially if there is a need for the therapist to assess or have physical interaction with the child (e.g. assess muscle tone etc.).
- Starting with telehealth appointments can also be a way to access services quicker, then you can transition to face to face appointments when this becomes available.
If you think Telehealth services could be for you, please get in touch with the Kids That Go team admin@kidsthatgo.com.
ANNETTE COLLINS
Occupational Therapist
References
- Ellison, K. S., Guidry, J., Picou, P., Adenuga, P., & Davis III, T. E. (2021). Telehealth and autism prior to and in the age of COVID-19: A systematic and critical review of the last decade. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 24(3), 599-630.
- Little LM, Pope E, Wallisch A, Dunn W. Occupation-Based Coaching by Means of Telehealth for Families of Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder. Am J Occup Ther. 2018 Mar/Apr;72(2):7202205020p1-7202205020p7. doi: 10.5014/ajot.2018.024786. PMID: 29426380.
- Smith SL, Vaquerano J, Humphreys BP, Aytur SA. Parent Satisfaction With a Telehealth Parent Coaching Intervention to Support Family Participation. OTJR (Thorofare N J). 2023 Jul;43(3):531-539. doi: 10.1177/15394492231164942. Epub 2023 Apr 25. PMID: 37122160.
- Smith SL, Aytur SA, Humphreys BP. Effects of Telehealth Parent Coaching in Supporting Family Participation, Cohesion, and Adaptability. OTJR (Thorofare N J). 2023 Jan;43(1):24-34. doi: 10.1177/15394492221083664. Epub 2022 May 15. PMID: 35574933.
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