Our team of highly trained occupational therapists and speech therapists are all trained to deliver services via telehealth.
What is telehealth?
Telehealth is an alternate way of delivering effective evidence-based therapy services to children. In many ways, it’s just like face-to-face therapy, but instead of driving to a clinic, or catching public transport, your face-to-face appointment is virtual, through the use of digital technology.
What are the benefits of telehealth?
The number one advantage of choosing telehealth is that, no matter what restrictions are in place or where your child lives, they can receive regular therapy. For children who have autism or a developmental delay, we know that early intervention and continuity is really important to their ongoing success.
Because these online sessions occur in your home, it’s easier for you to adapt the strategies and skills your child learns in therapy to the home environment. Telehealth also allows us, as therapists to observe your child within the home environment and see how this environment can be used therapeutically.
Making the most of your time
Telehealth appointments can be made more flexibly and at times that suit your child and family. If you’re concerned about how to make the most out of your child’s NDIS package, online appointments do not incur travel charges, making your child’s NDIS package stretch further.
Who can access telehealth and can I use my NDIS plan?
All families can access our telehealth services, as long as you have access to a smart device or computer with internet access.
What support do we offer through telehealth?
Families can access all our allied health services via telehealth (where appropriate and suitable):
- Assessments
- Speech pathology
- Occupational Therapy
- Early intervention
- Behavioural support
How does telehealth work?
Before your telehealth appointment, your therapist will plan how they can use your own space and materials to engage your child in therapy. They will work with you and provide you with tips and information on making your telehealth sessions successful. During the therapy, you and your therapist will work together as a team using a free app called Zoom, your therapist guiding you while you physically deliver the therapy. We will also use the technology to observe and, where possible, interact with your child. We have already seen instances where children who didn’t engage well with face-to-face therapy became more engaged when using telehealth technology.
Sessions are usually structured in the same way as face-to-face therapy sessions and can also include upskilling you in topics of interest, gathering more information (about behaviours, sensory, feeding, sleep and other areas) and working together to develop strategies and goals for the future.
My child has Autism, will telehealth work for my child?
With the right preparation, telehealth can work well for many children with autism. Raising children’s Network has some useful information on how to prepare your child with autism for telehealth here
What kind of goals can my child work towards using telehealth?
Telehealth can be used for a range of different sessions including
- Goal setting and planning future planning of therapy
- Planning and support for NIDS meetings/renewals
- Observational or checklist assessments
- Communication techniques
- Emotional regulation and emotional intelligence
- Rapport building
- Turn-taking
- Articulation and speech development
- Self-care tasks
- Developing a routine within the home environment
- Modelling of behaviours and communication
- Engaging siblings in play
- Language of development
- Use of Key Word Sign (KWS)
Still have questions? Read our telehealth questions and answers
