Telepractice Services

Speech by the Beach is now offering teletherapy services for speech, language, and occupational therapy! Take advantage of this time at home and set up teletherapy appointments from the comfort of your home!
How exactly does teletherapy work?
Services look different depending on the age of the child. For children under 3 years, we generally use a coaching model for delivering speech, language, and occupational therapy. Parents can provide us with a list of toys and activities in the home, which we will then select from for the therapy session. During the session, parents will engage with their child while being observed and guided by the therapist. Coaching will help parents understand how to increase opportunities for the specific skills we are targeting. This is a great way for parents and caregivers to learn the skills for ongoing support and practice outside of regular therapy sessions.
For children between 3 and 7-years-old, parents will be present for the therapy sessions (just like our in-person sessions) to help facilitate the different activities and support their child in accessing the technology. Our team has a library of fun and highly engaging activities that we use during teletherapy sessions. We may also email activities beforehand so parents can print and gather any necessary supplies.
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For older children and teens who are confident in navigating technology independently, we just ask that parents are nearby in case they are needed for troubleshooting during our sessions. We will also take the last few minutes of each session to check in with parents to review new ideas/concepts taught during the session. Of course, parents are always welcome to be present throughout the entire session!

Can we use a computer, tablet, or phone for teletherapy?
At Speech by the Beach we use GoToMeeting, a HIPAA compliant and secure platform for teletherapy. Clients can access the platform from a computer or tablet with a web-based browser. Prior to your first session, we will provide you with directions for logging on and a troubleshooting guide to refer to during our sessions.

What about adding to the amount of screen time my child is already getting?
Teletherapy services are different from the type of idle or stationary screentime experienced when watching TV. Our online sessions are interactive and socially engaging increasing the quality of screentime and providing for an educational experience. For younger children, we use the coaching model for delivering services where it is the parent who is most engaged with the screen.