Article

Expanding Use of Telepractice in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology

December 2012
The Volta Review 112(3):227-242

DOI:10.17955/tvr.112.3.m.704

Authors:

Arlene stredler-brown

University of Colorado Boulder

K. Todd Houston

University of Akron

Recent advances in videoconferencing technology have resulted in a substantial increase in the use of live videoconferencing-referred to here as telepractice-to diagnose and treat speech, language, and hearing disorders. There is growing support from professional organizations for use of this service delivery model, as videoconferencing technology can alleviate the effects of distance on access to care. As telepractice becomes a standard mode of conducting diagnostic and treatment services in speech, language, and hearing disorders, it is essential to assure that research supports its application in the field. Search criteria were established to identify publications, primarily in peer-reviewed journals, from 1995 to 2011. These studies generally validate the delivery of diagnostic and therapeutic services through telepractice when compared to traditional services delivered in a face-to-face clinical setting. Most studies examined adults and school-age children. The search was then expanded to identify diagnostic and treatment services for infants, toddlers, and young children. The existing literature compels professionals to conduct more research related specifically to the effectiveness and efficacy of telepractice.

Teletherapy, AAC & COVID-19: the experiences of speech language pathologists providing teletherapy during a global pandemic

Article

Jan 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic required many speech-language pathologists (SLPs) to transition to teletherapy service delivery. This study was designed to explore the experiences and perceptions of SLPs who made this transition with children with disabilities who used aided augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). Semi-structured interviews were conducted virtually with 10 SLPs who provided regular teletherapy services to children who used AAC during but not before the pandemic. Interview transcripts were analyzed thematically using immersion, reduction, and constant comparison to understand SLP experiences and perceptions individually and across the group. Results reveal that despite the challenges faced transitioning to teletherapy, there were benefits. Furthermore, many of the participating SLPs developed successful strategies and solutions for the challenges they faced. Participants in this study highlighted the unique and important role that caregivers and parents played in the success of the teletherapy they provided. This study suggests that SLPs, caregivers, and children demonstrated resilience in the face of a large-scale, unforeseen change. SLPs consistently reported the ability to maintain continuity of care during a stressful transition period, while meeting the unique needs of the children who used AAC they served.

Telepraktika teikiant logopedinę pagalbą vaikams: Logopedų nuomonė ir patirtys

Article

Full-text available

Dec 2022

Straipsnyje analizuojamos logopedų nuomonė ir patirtys, teikiant logopedinę pagalbą telepraktikos būdu COVID-19 situacijos aplinkybėmis. Atlikta kiekybinė ir kokybinė tyrimo duomenų analizė atskleidė šalies logopedų sampratą, taikomas telepraktikos rūšis, šios praktikos taikymo privalumus ir ribotumus, galimybes teikti (ne)tiesioginę pagalbą vaikams, turintiems įvairių kalbėjimo, kalbos ir rijimo sutrikimų, galimybes kokybiškai atlikti profesines logopedo funkcijas per nuotolį. Tyrimas atskleidė, kad telepraktika logopedo darbe, nors kėlusi daug iššūkių dėl poreikio ją taikyti nenumatytomis aplinkybėmis ir tam tinkamai nepasirengus, turi daug privalumų ir gali būti sėkmingai taikoma derinant ją su įprasta, tradicine, fizinio kontakto būdu teikiama pagalba

Telepractice with Preschool Children: Speech-language Pathologists’ Perspectives in Turkey

Article

Full-text available

Dec 2022

The purpose of this research was to investigate speech-language pathologists’ (SLPs) perspectives, attitudes, and experiences of using telepractice for preschoolers in Turkey. A mixed-method online survey was used with SLPs who implemented telepractice with preschool children. Frequency distribution and theme analysis were used to examine the data. Therapy was the most offered online service (98%). Further, 67% of SLPs worked with speech sound disorders. More than half of SLPs felt confident offering telepractice to preschoolers. Most respondents thought that telepractice was an appropriate and easily accessible approach for preschool children, with the applicability of telepractice connected to a child’s type of problem. The SLPs were motivated by the numerous advantages of telepractice. However, their opinions were divided when telepractice was compared to in-person treatment. The SLPs in Turkey must be better educated about telepractice, and clinical standards established. The findings point to areas of telepractice that might be improved for preschoolers, especially in Turkey.

The experiences of speech-language therapists providing telerehabilitation services to children with autism spectrum disorder

Article

Full-text available

Aug 2022

Background: There has been an increased emergence of the use of telerehabilitation by speech-language therapists (SLTs) in South Africa since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Objectives: To explore the criteria that SLTs use when recommending telerehabilitation for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the technical skills required, strategies used by SLTs, the restrictions encountered when conducting telerehabilitation and the views of SLTs on telerehabilitation in comparison to face-to-face therapy for children with ASD. Method: A descriptive, phenomenological, qualitative study design was utilised. Purposive and snowball sampling techniques were employed. Six SLTs from the private sector, who had experience providing telerehabilitation to children with ASD, were recruited from three provinces in South Africa. Data were gathered via semistructured online interviews and analysed using thematic analysis. Results: Two out of five themes that emerged from this study are presented in this paper, i.e. approaches to telerehabilitation and the benefits of telerehabilitation. Results revealed that telerehabilitation was used to provide assessment and therapy during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns as an alternative method of service delivery. Assessment and treatment strategies included synchronous and asynchronous methods, family collaboration, social stories, frequent breaks and interactive sessions. Telerehabilitation reduced the client’s and SLT’s travel costs and increased caregiver and clinician satisfaction. Client progress and increased awareness of SLT were viewed as further benefits. Conclusion: Telerehabilitation was found to be beneficial to most children with ASD, and in most cases, the benefits far outweighed the challenges encountered. Clinical implications included the need for caregiver support in facilitating effective carryover, an increase in SLTs’ knowledge and the opportunity to provide services to a broader geographical range. Limitations of the study are included.

Challenges facing users of hearing aids during the COVID-19 pandemic

Article

Feb 2021
Int J Audiol

Objectives: To explore the difficulties and obstacles of hearing-technology users during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Design: Descriptive, cross-sectional study. Study sample: Individuals with permanent hearing loss (n = 278) answered a questionnaire designed to identify potential obstacles caused by using hearing aids during the COVID-19 pandemic, along with the reasons and deleterious effects associated with the devices. Each category reflected challenges in communicating, learning, and working during the pandemic. Different response categories were compared using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: The duration of daily device usage before the imposed lockdown was significantly higher than that during (Z = -2.01, p < 0.05), potentially attributable to the pandemic-induced difficulties faced by hearing-technology users. Such challenges include the shortage of batteries for hearing devices, limited access to repair or programming services of said devices and accessories, termination of speech therapy sessions, and obstacles to employment and education. Conclusions: Among audiologists, efficiency and professionalism are required to educate the public and private health sectors regarding the prevalent challenges and their harmful impact on hearing-technology users during the COVID-19 pandemic. To overcome these issues, awareness of telepractice and its importance in providing audiological services to hard of hearing individuals should be raised.

Investigating the utility of teletherapy in individuals with primary progressive aphasia

Article

Full-text available

Feb 2019
Clin Interv Aging

Introduction: Primary progressive aphasia (PPA) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive deterioration of speech and language. A growing body of research supports the utility of speech and language intervention in individuals with PPA, although access to these services remains limited. One potential means of increasing treatment accessibility is the delivery of treatment via telemedicine. Evidence supports the use of teletherapy in stroke-induced aphasia, but research examining the application of teletherapy in PPA is limited. In the current study, a non-randomized group comparison design was used to evaluate the feasibility and utility of treatment delivered via teletherapy relative to treatment administered in person for individuals with PPA. Methods: Two treatment protocols were administered as part of a larger study investigating treatment for speech and language deficits in PPA. Participants with semantic (n=10) and logopenic (n=11) PPA received lexical retrieval treatment (LRT) and individuals with nonfluent/agrammatic PPA (n=10) received video implemented script training (VISTA) designed to promote speech production and fluency. Treatment was administered via teletherapy for approximately half of participants receiving each intervention. Treatment outcomes and performance on standardized tests were assessed at pre- and post-treatment, as well as three-, six- and twelve-months post-treatment. Results: Overall, both treatment approaches resulted in significant gains for primary outcome measures. Critically, comparison of in-person and teletherapy groups revealed comparable outcomes. Generalization to untrained targets and tasks and maintenance of treatment-induced gains were also comparable for traditional versus teletherapy participants. Discussion: Overall, treatment outcomes were largely equivalent for individuals receiving treatment via teletherapy versus traditional, in-person delivery. Results support the application of teletherapy for administering restitutive interventions to individuals with mild-to-moderate PPA. Potential implications for using teletherapy in treatment of cognitive-linguistic and motoric impairments in other disorders and suggestions for administering treatment via telemedicine are discussed.

Challenges Faced by Individuals with Hearing Impairment during COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown in India -A Pilot Study

Article

Jan 2023

COVID-19 (Corona Virus Infectious Disease) situations reported in 2019, declared by World Health Organization (WHO) as a pandemic is still a prevailing global crisis. Common regulations were implemented such as lockdown, wearing face masks as mandatory, face shields, gloves and maintaining physical and social distance in public places to reduce the spread of the virus. These pandemic induced challenges affected social communication, technical and behavioral aspects in lifestyle of people with hearing impairment. Along with medical, paramedical services, the crisis had challenged hearing, speech language pathology and therapy services too. The study aimed to explore the challenges that adults with hearing impairment had experienced during the pandemic and to suggest some practical solutions that can be implemented by audiologists. It is a questionnaire-based study with purposive sampling method employed in data collection. The questionnaire was administered on adult hearing aid users (mean age: 18 years) recruited for participation from different parts/ clinical setups across India. The outcome of the questionnaire did support the assumption that availing audiological services was difficult or impossible for most of the hearing aid users. Accessing batteries was reported to be the most frequent issue. Adequate level of hearing though hearing aid was important to them and clinical services could not be availed for long period of time due to travel related issues and closure of audiological services. Also, social isolation impacted on their quality of life and effective communication. As a possible solution most of the users chose tele services as a better solution.

Speech Analysis of Patients with Cleft Palate Using Artificial Intelligence Techniques: A Systematic Review

Article

Full-text available

Jul 2023

Introduction This systematic review examines the use of machine learning (ML) algorithms to detect hypernasal speech in patients with cleft palate (CP), which can persist after primary repair surgery, and require revision. Due to a shortage of speech language pathologists (SLPs), automated detection tools could help improve access to care in underserved areas. The study compares the characteristics and accuracy of different types of machine learning algorithms. Methods On August 18, 2021, searches were conducted across 8 databases: PubMed, SCOPUS, Cochrane, IEEE, ACM, L&LB, PsychInfo, and CINAHL. Search terms used were: (Artificial Intelligence OR Machine Learning OR Neural networks AND Cleft lip OR Cleft palate OR Hypernasality OR Velopharyngeal Insufficiency). To be included, papers needed to describe ML algorithms for CP speech detection and report concordance to human professional speech clinicians. Results Database searches yielded 135 unique articles. Five articles met full inclusion criteria and 3 additional articles were identified by hand searching references of articles that passed initial screening. These algorithms were categorized as either Feature Dependent non-Deep learning (n = 5) or Feature Dependent deep learning (n = 2) algorithms or Feature Independent deep learning (n = 3) algorithms. Their pooled average concordance were 0.85, 0.93, and 0.91 respectively. Their average training database sizes were 3587, 3921, and 6306 speech samples respectively. Conclusion Machine learning algorithms have been shown to be an effective tool for the evaluation of hypernasal speech. This systematic review has shown that ML algorithms are able to detect hypernasality with high concordance, consistent with professional speech language clinicians in a rapid, and autonomous manner. ML algorithms can extend the reach of speech language pathologists and complement their gold standard, this long-term outcome monitoring has great potential to improve treatment outcomes.

Experiences of speech-language pathologist practicing teletherapy to preschool children in the context of a COVID-19 pandemic

Article

Full-text available

Apr 2023

Experiencias de fonoaudiólogos/as al realizar telerehabilitación a niños preescolares con trastorno del desarrollo del lenguaje en contexto de pandemia RESUMEN El confinamiento como medida sanitaria a causa del COVID-19 ha obligado la adopción de la modalidad virtual en los sistemas escolares del mundo. Los fonoaudiólogos/as que trabajan con niños/as preescolares que presentan alteraciones del lenguaje han debido modificar su metodología de trabajo usual para lograr los objetivos terapéuticos y educativos de los planes de intervención que aplican. En esta investigación se buscó describir la percepción que tienen los fonoaudiólogos/as acerca de la experiencia de realizar telerehabilitación a niños/as preescolares con trastorno del desarrollo del lenguaje en contexto de pandemia. Se diseñó un estudio cualitativo, con enfoque fenomenológico. A la muestra de 10 fonoaudiólogas, reclutadas por conveniencia, se les realizó entrevistas focalizadas semiestructuradas. El análisis fenomenológico de los datos obtenidos se realizó mediante la obtención de subcódigos, códigos y categorías, de forma manual. Del análisis surgen las siguientes categorías temáticas: valoración de la experiencia, efectividad de la intervención virtual, preparación de las sesiones y participación de los padres. Las vivencias expuestas en las entrevistas realizadas permiten señalar elementos críticos relacionados con el improvisado y repentino cambio de modalidad, la escasa formación y/o preparación de las terapeutas para implementar la telepráctica, la administración de recursos y la sensación de infectividad de la intervención. Si bien las intervenciones virtuales se han establecido como una alternativa a lo presencial, se concluye que esta fue poco aceptada entre las fonoaudiólogas entrevistadas, ya que se las considera demandantes y poco efectivas para niños/as tan pequeños/as. Se resalta que el compromiso de los padres, madres y/o cuidadores/as es fundamental para lograr un proceso exitoso. ABSTRACT Confinement as a sanitary measure due to the COVID-19 has forced the adoption of the virtual modality in school systems around the world. Speech pathologists who work with preschool children with language disorders have had to modify their usual work methodology to achieve therapeutic and educational aims of the intervention plans they apply This research sought to describe the perception that speech-language pathologists have about the experience of performing telerehabilitation for preschool children with language development disorders in the context of a pandemic. A qualitative study was designed, with a phenomenological approach. The sample of 10 speech therapists, recruited for convenience, underwent semi-structured interviews. The phenomenological analysis of the data obtained was carried out bymanually obtaining subcodes, codes and categories. The following thematic categories emerge from the analysis: evaluation of the experience, effectiveness of the virtual intervention, preparation of the sessions and participation of the parents. The experiences exposed in the interviews carried out allow us to point out critical elements related to the improvised and sudden change of modality, the lack of training and/or preparation of the therapists to implement telepractice, the administration of resources and the sensation of inefectivity of the intervention. Although virtual interventions have been established as an alternative to face-to-face intervention, it is concluded that this was not widely accepted among the speech therapists interviewed, considering it demanding and ineffective for such young children. It is emphasized that the commitment of parents and/or caregivers is essential to achieve a successful process.

INVESTIGATING THE SATISFACTION OF CLINICIANS AND CLIENTS IN A TELEAUDIOLOGY TRIAL

Article

Full-text available

Dec 2018

Background Thus far, the uptake of telehealth in Australia has been puzzlingly small in scale and sporadic in nature. This is particularly true of audiology. The current study aimed to investigate the satisfaction of clinicians and clients with audiology appointments in a trial of the telehealth mode. Material and Methods A mixed-methods study design was utilised involving surveys with all appointment participants and semi-structured post-appointment interviews with clients. Appointments were conducted with 11 individual clients; of these, 7 interviews were conducted. One audiologist and one allied health assistant were used for all appointments. Results High satisfaction ratings overall were given by both clients (87.3% excellent) and the allied health assistant (74.4% excellent), whereas the audiologist consistently provided slightly lower levels of satisfaction (72.7% good). It was also found that the audiologist believed that teleaudiology increased the quality of care offered. Conclusions By examining the perspectives of all key stakeholders, this study identifies a number of novel positive and negative aspects of a teleaudiology practice and offers suggestions for future implementation of such a program.

Therapy of Primary Progressive Aphasia in Current Research

Article

Full-text available

Dec 2022

Simona Hlaváčová

Primary progressive aphasia is a neurodegenerative clinical syndrome with predominant speech and language dysfunction. There are currently no curative or symptomatic pharmacological treatments. Speech and Language Therapy represents the optimum treatment to maximise communication skills for patients withprimary progressive aphasia. There are multiple therapeutic strategies available for speech-language pathologists, which are aimed at concrete deficits, or which arefunctionally aimed strategies. This article summarises a review of the therapeutic strategies for primary progressive aphasia and the specifics of generalisation in therapy, in view of current research. Due to its promising conclusions pointing to the effectiveness of Speech Therapy, the necessity of referring patients diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia to the care of a Clinical Speech Therapist as soon as possible after diagnosis is emphasised.

Delivery of Speech-Language Therapy and Audiology Services Across the World at the Start of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Survey

Article

Full-text available

Apr 2022

Purpose Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and audiologists from around the world were forced to enter the world of telepractice at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study investigated which types of applications SLPs and audiologists used most frequently at that time. It also examined what the main obstacles then were to provide speech, language, and hearing services through telepractice. Method A short electronic survey with 13 questions was distributed around the world. In total, 1,466 surveys from SLPs and audiologists from 40 countries were used for the analysis. Most of them (77.4%) delivered care through online real-time communication. A minority (40.1%) also delivered care through videos or exercises that they sent to their clients, 37.8% delivered through face-to-face intervention in the same room, 30.0% delivered through telephone without video, and 21.5% provided distant computer-based treatment. Results The most frequently used applications were those that establish synchronous video communication with the client (60.5%). SLPs and audiologists reported using applications to create exercises more frequently than applications that contain exercises or training (15.0% vs. 12.0%). The most reported obstacle (31.2%) referred to technical problems (poor Internet connection, poor quality, or poor access to resources). Other frequently reported obstacles included the difficulty to perform assessment or treatment procedures (13.8%), concentration issues during sessions (12.4%), and lack of interaction between professional and client or patient (10.9%). Conclusions Many SLPs and audiologists reported using telepractice technology, mainly in the form of real-time videoconferencing. However, existing barriers included technical problems such as poor Internet connection.

Professional Training and Therapeutic Resources Needed for the Adoption of Telepractice in the Philippines

Article

Aug 2022

With the COVID-19 pandemic necessitating the adoption of telepractice for providing speech and language therapy services, this study investigated the factors affecting the perceptions and the implementation of telepractice for school-age children by speech language speech-language pathologists (SLPs) in the Philippines. Sixty-four SLPs completed a 36-item online survey assessing the adoption of telepractice, implementation concerns, student candidacy, continuous training in telepractice, and the SLPs’ demographics. The SLPs reported that they quickly adopted telepractice in their services for school-age students at the start of the pandemic. Multiple linear regression analyses revealed that SLPs’ perceptions of the effectiveness of telepractice were significantly affected by implementation difficulties while SLPs’ future use of telepractice was significantly predicted by training and resource availability. These results suggest that professional training and other therapeutic resources are needed to alleviate SLPs’ concerns about difficulties in implementing and continuing use of telepractice.

A feasibility study of teleassessment for people with aphasia in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait

Article

Jun 2022

Purpose The outbreak of COVID-19 impacted the delivery of outpatient services by various healthcare systems, including speech and language therapy services for people with aphasia (PWA). One possible solution here is telepractice (TP). Previous studies have shown TP to be comparable to the traditional face-to-face (FTF) delivery method for the assessment of PWA. However, these studies have largely been conducted in Western, English-speaking countries. This study evaluates the feasibility of TP to assess PWA using the Short Aphasia Test for Gulf Arabic speakers (SATG). Method The feasibility study adopted a within-subject cross-over study design, involving 19 individuals with post-stroke aphasia aged 25–64. Each participant was assessed twice using the SATG, once with each delivery method (FTF and TP) and the scores were compared. We collected a number of feasibility measures, including a comparison of the scores for FTF and TP. Anecdotal cultural influences on participant preferences for TP were noted by researchers. Results The Wilcoxon rank-sum tests showed a non-significant difference between the two methods in the overall scores and the subsection scores, except for the auditory comprehension task which showed significantly lower scores for TP delivery. High satisfaction with TP was reported, and practical considerations for implementing TP are discussed. Conclusion This study provides evidence of the feasibility of adopting TP to assess PWA in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait and highlights the influence of cultural aspects on the use of videoconferencing. Participants reported a preference for some FTF contact to support setting up TP and prior to the first TP session.

Parental and Practitioner Views of Telepractice for Pediatric Auditory Verbal Habilitation at a Time of Global Pandemic

Article

Dec 2021

Purpose The aim of this study was to explore parents' and therapists' views of the benefits and challenges of telepractice for early intervention for children who are deaf or hard of hearing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method Surveys probed the views of (a) parents and (b) Listening and Spoken Language Specialist (LSLS) Certified Auditory Verbal Therapists (AVTs) in using telepractice to deliver auditory verbal (AV) sessions. The survey for parents covered technology, coaching, communication, learnings for the parent, learnings for the child, and parental preference. The survey for the therapists examined therapy style, technology, relationships with families, and coaching style. Using a convenience sample of 65 families and nine LSLS Certified AVTs, data were collected using Google Forms. Results A response rate of 42% was achieved for the parents' survey. Families were overwhelmingly confident in the subjective effectiveness of AV sessions delivered by telepractice with modal ratings of 8 and 9 on a 10-point rating scale for telepractice sessions and in-person sessions, respectively. On average, however, parents rated in-person sessions at a significantly higher level. Eighty-five percent opted to continue with either AV delivered solely via telepractice or a blend of telepractice and in-person sessions. Changes in therapists' style included (a) increased interactions with the parent rather than the child and (b) an improvement in coaching techniques. Eight of nine therapists (89%) felt that sessions delivered via telepractice were equally effective as or more effective than in-person sessions. Discussion The necessary transfer of all AV sessions to telepractice from in-person sessions during the global pandemic of COVID-19 was enacted successfully for the majority of families. Both parents and therapists described benefits and challenges of telepractice for AV intervention. Going forward, the high proportion of families requested either a blended service delivery of telepractice and in-person sessions or therapy via telepractice alone, demonstrating the families' satisfaction with this approach.

Preferences of speech and language therapists for telepractice in the COVID-19 pandemic and factors affecting their acceptance of the delivery model

Article

Full-text available

Nov 2021

Objectives: With the COVID-19 pandemic, telepractice became a great option in speech-language therapy services, as in many healthcare utilities. However, the transition to this service model did not occur at a similar rate for every clinician. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the experiences, preferences and factors affecting the acceptance of speech-language therapists (SLT) regarding telepractice in Turkey. Methods: Sixty-seven SLTs were presented with a questionnaire that addressed the professional tendencies, experiences and views on telepractice of them. Descriptive statistics regarding the preferences and experiences of SLTs were calculated. Moreover, factors that might be related to the number of sessions they held at the pandemic were examined with the Chi-squared test. Results: The speech-language disorders that SLTs find the most suitable for telepractice were fluency disorders, voice disorders and speech sound disorders. Groups that SLTs deemed most suitable for receiving telepractice in terms of age were 12-21, 22-64 and 7-11, respectively. A significant relationship was found between the frequency of online meetings and telepractice sessions before the pandemic and the number of sessions during the pandemic. Furthermore, a significant relationship also was found between satisfaction with using clinician skills in telepractice and the number of telepractice sessions during the pandemic. Conclusions: The importance of the first experiences of SLTs in the acceptance of the delivery method emerged. The necessity of in-service trainings and exemplary models to improve attitudes emerged. With these trainings, ensuring security, standardizing practices and increasing qualified services will be provided as well.

Digital Health and Digital Learning Experiences Across Speech-Language Pathology, Phoniatrics, and Otolaryngology: Interdisciplinary Survey Study

Article

Full-text available

Nov 2021

Background Advances in digital health and digital learning are transforming the lives of patients, health care providers, and health professional students. In the interdisciplinary field of communication sciences and disorders (CSD), digital uptake and incorporation of digital topics and technologies into clinical training programs has lagged behind other medical fields. There is a need to understand professional and student experiences, opinions, and needs regarding digital health and learning topics so that effective strategies for implementation can be optimized. Objective This cross-sectional survey study aims to interdisciplinarily investigate professional and student knowledge, use, attitudes, and preferences toward digital health and learning in the German-speaking population. Methods An open-ended, web-based survey was developed and conducted with professionals and students in CSD including phoniatricians and otolaryngologists, speech-language pathologists (German: Logopäd*innen), medical students, and speech-language pathology students. Differences in knowledge, use, attitudes, and preferences across profession, generation, and years of experience were analyzed. ResultsA total of 170 participants completed the survey. Respondents demonstrated greater familiarity with digital learning as opposed to eHealth concepts. Significant differences were noted across profession (P

The neurogenic dysphagia management via telemedicine: a systematic review

Article

Oct 2021
Eur J Phys Rehabil Med

Introduction: Telerehabilitation is the provision of rehabilitation remotely through Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). Recently, there has been an increase of interest in its application thanks to increasing a new technology. The aim of this systematic review was to examine the evidence of the literature regarding the management of neurogenic dysphagia via telerehabilitation, compared to face-to-face rehabilitation treatment. The secondary aim was to create recommendations on telerehabilitation sessions for patients diagnosed with neurogenic dysphagia. Evidence acquisition: The databases were: Medline, Embase, Cinahl, Scopus. A total of 235 records emerged from bibliographic research, manual search of full text and from gray literature, published until January 2021. Two blinded authors carried out titles and abstract screening and followed by full-text analysis. 16 articles were included in the systematic review and assessed through critical appraisal tools. Evidence synthesis: The research shows that the majority of the studies on neurogenic dysphagia involved the Clinical Swallow Examination via telerehabilitation, compared with the inperson modality. Significant levels of agreement and high satisfaction from clinicians and patients are reported to support the use of telerehabilitation. Based on the results of this systematic review and qualitative analysis, the authors developed practical recommendations for the management of telerehabilitation sessions for patients with neurogenic dysphagia. Conclusions: Despite the presence of barriers, telerehabilitation allowed healthcare provision and increasing access to care and services with specialized professionals, remote rehabilitation can be a valid resource during the health emergency due to COVID-19.

Parent's satisfaction on tele-listening training for children with Hearing impairment during COVID-19

Article

Full-text available

Oct 2021

Background and Aim: Rehabilitation services to individuals with hearing impairment were on hold with widespread COVID-19. So, rehabilitation services were mandated mainly through telepractice for children with hearing loss. Evaluating the effectiveness of tele-practise compared to face-to-face therapy is of utmost importance for evidence-based approaches. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the parent's satisfaction with tele-listening training for children with hearing impairment during COVID-19. Methods: Fifty-four parents of children with hearing loss participated in the study. The parents satisfaction on tele-listening training was evaluated through the Parent Satisfaction Questionnaire in terms of 1) the audio and video quality during teletherapy; 2) equipment use 3) general parent-therapist interaction and communication during teletherapy; 4) service delivery and convenience; and 5) overall satisfaction with the teletherapy. Results: The results showed a higher parent satisfaction rating to avail rehabilitation services through tele-modality during the pandemic. Tele-listening training sessions had helped parents continue training their children at home with the therapist's guidance online. However, parents were not satisfied with their child's

"Parent’s satisfaction on tele-listening training for children with hearing impairment during COVID-19"

Conference Paper

Full-text available

Jul 2021

Parent’s satisfaction on tele-listening training for children with hearing impairment during COVID-19"

Atención temprana en tiempos de Covid-19: investigar la/s realidad/es de la teleintervención en las prácticas centradas en la familia

Article

Full-text available

Jul 2021

El equipo TRASCIENDE surge a partir de la necesidad de articular un proyecto de colaboración entre Plena inclusión-CLM y la UCLM para la transformación social, científica, académica y profesional en materia de discapacidad, inclusión y ciudadanía. A raíz de la situación sociosanitaria provocada por la COVID-19, el equipo TRASCIENDE se ha visto implicado en el cambio social que ha producido el confinamiento, desarrollando, necesariamente, un rol de observador del cambio. Esta situación global nos lleva a formularnos preguntas que pretenden iniciar procesos de investigación en la práctica: ¿de qué manera este confinamiento ha afectado a las prácticas en Atención Temprana? Para responder a esta pregunta se decide adoptar una perspectiva de investigación cualitativa para explorar las percepciones de familias y profesionales (logopedas, fisioterapeutas, estimuladoras y coordinadoras) de equipos de Atención Temprana, sus dificultades y sus fortalezas en esta situación de cambio. El trabajo describe un proceso de exploración de las prácticas durante los primeros meses del confinamiento, prácticas que se han dirigido, en muchos casos, hacia la teleintervención. Los datos han sido recogidos mediante entrevistas etnográficas (familias) y grupos focales (profesionales) y han sido tratados mediante análisis temático (Attride-Stirling, 2001). Los resultados muestran la percepción de las familias y los profesionales articulados en tres focos de redes temáticas: la reacción personal y colectiva a la nueva situación, lo que puede permanecer de la teleintervención (con sus matices) y lo que subyace a las prácticas en esta modalidad. El estudio abre, además, nuevas líneas de investigación futuras que evidencian la dificultad del proceso de transformación hacia modelos verdaderamente centrados en la familia.

LabConcept—A New Mobile Healthcare Platform for Standardizing Patient Results in Telemedicine

Article

Full-text available

Feb 2021

The aim of this paper is to present a new original software platform, called LabConcept, that is designed for monitoring health activity in order to establish a more efficient treatment plan and provide a better lifestyle via telemedicine. It is fully designed by the authors and embeds all the patient’s healthcare information into a mobile software application, compatible with smartphones, laptops or other mobile devices. The novelty consists in standardizing the laboratory and the point-of-care results into a Quick Response (QR) code that is printed on every result bulletin issued and given to the patient after his routine blood assays are performed. Compared to the existing telemedicine software (VSee, Teladoc, TheraPlatform, Chiron Health), which have the basic videoconferencing role, LabConcept has a set of new important features that start from the concept of telemedicine, designed to load and create databases for all the assayed results in order to be sent to the doctor’s LabConcept application for professional interpretation. The software also analyzes the clinical evolution of an assay on a user-predefined period of time, automatically pre-diagnoses and alerts the user about a potential disorder from the stored results and records comments regarding the efficiency of the patient’s treatment plan. LabConcept is an easy and safe end-to-end real-time patient–doctor communication channel, conducive to improved monitoring and treatment procedures for the patient.

Tele‐practice for children and young people with communication disabilities: Employing the COM‐B model to review the intervention literature and inform guidance for practitioners

Article

Full-text available

Feb 2021

Background Many healthcare and educational services providers have undergone a rapid transition from a face‐to‐face to a tele‐practice mode of service delivery in the context of the COVID‐19 outbreak. This, in turn, has led to a need to understand better the evidence underpinning such moves. Based on a review of existing reviews, this paper critically analyses the relevant literature related to intervention with children with communication disabilities drawing on the COM‐B model. Methods & Procedures Ten reviews were identified following a systematic searching of electronic databases. These were then coded according to both PRISMA criteria and the components of the COM‐B model. Based on these findings, a critical analysis of the state of the tele‐practice intervention literature is discussed and fed into evidence‐based advice for practitioners transitioning to this mode of service delivery. Outcomes & Results The COM‐B mapping suggests that the existing literature has provided primary evidence for physical opportunity and reflective motivation (e.g., participants have the time to take part and the necessary materials, as well as a desire to do it). It has also focused on elements of social opportunity (e.g., having support and prompts from others to take part). However, there are significant gaps in the description and analysis of both physical and psychological capability components. Conclusions & Implications Whilst the evidence for tele‐practice interventions for children and young people with communication disabilities is growing, it is also lacking a comprehensive framework to support its implementation. In times of rapid transitions, researchers and practitioners alike need to understand how to evaluate comprehensively the impact of changing the mode of intervention delivery. The COM‐B model provides a powerful tool to reflect on the key elements for the successful design and implementation of tele‐practice interventions. What this paper adds What is already known on this subject • Tele‐practice has been a feature of service delivery for speech and language therapists working with children and young people with speech and language disorders for many years, as it has in other areas of practice. This came into sharp focus during 2020 during the ‘lock‐down’ following the start of the COVID‐19 pandemic when most practice went online. What this paper adds to existing knowledge • This study set out to provide a framework for understanding service delivery, drawing on the COM‐B behaviour change model. This is applied using a rapid review methodology to 10 systematic and narrative reviews of the existing literature published since 2005. The findings suggest that while most studies demonstrated efficacy, there was a lack of information regarding specific aspects of the model which would affect their implementation. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work? • It is anticipated that the paper has the potential to have a direct bearing on how tele‐practice services for children and young people with speech and language disorders will be delivered in the future. The paper concludes with a series of recommendations for practice and research in terms of the application of the COM‐B model to tele‐practice in speech and language therapy.

Parents’ and Students’ Perceptions of Telepractice Services for Speech-Language Therapy During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Survey Study

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2021

Background: The ongoing coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic has resulted in face-to-face class suspensions and a boom in the use of telepractice in speech-language pathology. However, little is known about caregivers' and students' telepractice satisfaction and service delivery mode preferencesthat may affect therapy effectiveness and future adoption of telepractice. Objective: This study evaluated perceived telepractice efficacy and preference between onsite practice and telepractice as well as factors affecting service delivery mode preferences among caregivers and students during the Covid-19 pandemic. Methods: A 19-question survey on telepractice satisfaction and preference was administered to 41 Hong Kong Chinese students and 85 caregivers who received telepractice from school-based speech-language pathologists during the Covid-19 pandemic class suspension period. In addition to the demographic information and the implementation of telepractice in the survey, all participants were asked to rate their perceptions of the efficacy of telepractice and compare onsite practice and telepractice on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree/favoring the use of onsite speech-language therapy to 5 = strongly agree/favoring the use of telepractice). Results: Despite a high rating for telepractice efficacy from caregivers (95% CI 3.30-3.66) and students (95% CI 3.21-3.76), both groups rated that telepractice was less effective than onsite practice (caregivers: 95% CI 2.14-2.52; students: 95% CI 2.08-2.65). Moreover, the caregivers preferred onsite practice over telepractice (95% CI 2.04-2.43), whereas the students showed no preference for the mode of practice (95% CI 2.74-3.41). A significant association between telepractice efficacy and preference was found only among the students (τ = .43, P < .001), not the caregivers. Conclusions: Although telepractice can be considered as an acceptable alternative service delivery option for school-aged speech and language therapy services, it is necessary for speech-language therapists and caregivers to play a more proactive role in telepractice by facilitating effective communication between clinicians and caregivers.

Online or Offline: Parents but not Students Preferred Onsite Practice to Telepractice during the COVID-19 Pandemic (Preprint)

Preprint

Nov 2020

BACKGROUND The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in face-to-face class suspensions and a boom in the use of telepractice in speech-language pathology. However, little is known about caregivers’ and students’ telepractice satisfaction and service delivery mode preferences. OBJECTIVE This study evaluated perceived telepractice efficacy and preference between onsite practice and telepractice as well as factors affecting service delivery mode preferences among caregivers and students during COVID-19. METHODS A 20-question survey on telepractice satisfaction and preference was administered to 41 Chinese students and 85 caregivers who received telepractice from school-based speech-language pathologists in Hong Kong during the COVID-19 pandemic class suspension period. They were asked to 1) report the implementation of telepractice, 2) rate their perceptions of the efficacy of telepractice on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree), 3) compare the efficacy of telepractice to onsite practice, and 4) state their preference between telepractice and onsite practice. RESULTS Despite a high rating for telepractice efficacy from caregivers (95% CI 3.30-3.66) and students (95% CI 3.21-3.76), both groups perceived that telepractice was less effective than onsite practice (caregivers: 95% CI 2.14-2.52; students: 95% CI 2.08-2.65). Moreover, the caregivers preferred onsite practice over telepractice (95% CI 2.04-2.43), whereas the students showed no preference for the mode of practice (95% CI 2.74-3.41). A significant association between telepractice efficacy and preference was found only among the students (τ = .43, P < .001), not the caregivers. CONCLUSIONS Although telepractice can be considered an acceptable alternative service delivery option for school-aged speech and language therapy services, a more proactive role of speech-language therapists and caregivers in telepractice is needed to facilitate the engagement of caregivers and effective communication between clinicians and caregivers.

Distance Education in Speech-Language Therapy: Telepractice With Children With Speech and Language Disorders

Chapter

Nov 2020

Speech-Language Pathologists/Therapists have been using a different service delivery model known for almost 40 years as telepractice, so they can meet the growing demand for assessment, intervention, consultancy and also distance learning in their scope of practice. As far as the authors could review the literature highlights a number of benefits for students, teachers, parents and stakeholders, as well as evidence for the delivery of professional services at a distance within the clinical and educational settings. There are few studies regarding the effectiveness of telepractice intervention in this field. To our knowledge, there are no European Portuguese studies. The chapter illustrates up to date international applications of telepractice and distance learning in speech-language therapy services. It has currently increased in order to respond to the world crisis related to COVID-19 in which social self-isolation and personal dislocations are being implemented, forcing this professional to adapt to this new reality.

Are we ready for teleaudiology?: data from Malaysia

Article

Full-text available

May 2019

Purpose: The application of teleaudiology in the field of audiology has been regarded as a promising approach to improve the quality of services and access to healthcare. Ongoing studies are required to explore the willingness and attitudes of clinicians to use teleaudiology services in clinical practice. The objective of this study was to obtain preliminary data regarding audiologists’ perceptions of teleaudiology in Malaysia. Method: Forty-three audiologists in Malaysia participated in a survey to examine their views regarding teleaudiology. The survey was conducted by inviting the audiologists to complete the Malay version of ‘Attitudes toward Teleaudiology Scale for Practitioners (MyATS-P)’. MyATS-P consists of 41 items with four sections assessing the usage of information communication technology, perceived effect of teleaudiology, and willingness to use teleaudiology. Results: Approximately half of the respondents indicated that teleaudiology would have a positive effect on quality of care (54.41%), accessibility (62.79%), and professional practice (46.51%). The willingness of the respondents to use teleaudiology was dependent on the types of clinical tasks and client groups examined. Conclusion: This study confirmed that support for remote audiology testing in Malaysia was divided among the audiologists. Several measures were suggested to initiate teleaudiology practice in Malaysia and to encourage its use in the future.

Caracteristici ale telepracticii logopedice

Chapter

Full-text available

Jan 2022

Telepractica logopedică se referă la serviciile oferite de la distanță prin folosirea de platforme de videoconferință sau alte tehnologii similare. Potrivit American Speech Language Hearing Association (2020), există termeni sinonimi: teleaudiologie, teleterapie sau telereabilitare. Această terapie la distanță se realizează prin conectarea specialistului cu pacientul în vederea efectuării evaluării, intervenției și/sau consilierii.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the provision of speech therapy services in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2023

Introduction. A newly discovered SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes an infectious disease called Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread around the world. Objectives. The study aims to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on speech-language pathologists (SLPs) clinical service delivery. Accordingly, this study aims to determine which modifications were used in the provision of speech-language pathology (SLP) services and which procedures were used by SLPs in their clinical practice in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) during the third pandemic wave. The second aim of the study was to analyze how many SLPs from B&H used telepractice and what are the barriers to performing this type of work. Methods. The study included 107 SLPs, who voluntarily joined the survey, after sending the questionnaire directly to the e-mail or placing the questionnaire in online SLPs groups. The survey comprised questions to assess participants' demographics, personal protective equipment, procedures, provision of telepractice, and barriers and limitations to telepractice implementation. Results. Results showed that 93.4% of SLPs reported they use measures to prevent and control the COVID-19 pandemic. Only 28% of SLPs used telepractice in their work, which is a very low rate. The majority of SLPs (59.2%) reported that they did not receive the appropriate education about using telepractice. Conclusion. The COVID-19 pandemic led to a change in service delivery by SLPs requiring them to modify their work or to provide services through telepractice.

Telepractice in Speech-Language Therapy During COVID-19 Pandemic

Article

Jan 2023

Sabeen Iqbal Rajput

Objectives: The purpose of this paper is to review the recent literature and reflect on the studies conducted to investigate the efficacy of tele practice in speech-language therapy. This paper focuses more on the recent literature and the studies conducted during the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. Methodology: A review of the recent literature from 2012 to 2021 was studied on providing speech-language therapy intervention through tele practice. Key literature search sources included the Sci-hub, PubMed, HINARI (Health Inter Network Access to Research Initiative), and Google Scholar databases. Findings: The review of the literature provides evidence that telepractice delivery model for speech and language therapy services is an effective and useful way to cater to the needs of the patients. However, this paper also provides us with an insight that the hybrid model which is the combination of one-on-one and telepractice therapy session may be more effective and holistic way to provide therapy. There is a vital need for more investigative studies on the topic of telepractice. Unique Contribution to theory, practice, and policy: Speech and language therapist may opt for a hybrid therapeutic approach to achieve more functional outcomes. There is a need for in-depth and comprehensive investigative studies to fully understand the effectiveness of telepractice service delivery model when this model is utilized for variety of different speech and language disorder. Moreover, policies at professional institutes need to ensure that therapists undergo trainings on telepractice techniques and functionality to provide holistic treatment to patients and support care givers.

Validation of Videoconference Administration of Picture Description From the Western Aphasia Battery–Revised in Neurotypical Canadian French Speakers

Article

Nov 2022

Purpose During the COVID-19 pandemic, clinicians and researchers have increasingly used remote online assessments to pursue their activities, but mostly with tests not validated for videoconference administration. This study aims to validate the remote online administration of picture description in Canadian French neurotypical speakers and to explore the thematic unit (TU) checklist recently developed. Method Spoken discourse elicited through the picture description task of the Western Aphasia Battery–Revised (WAB-R) was collected from Canadian French neurotypical speakers from Québec aged between 50 and 79 years old. Forty-seven participants completed the task in person, and 49 participants completed the task by videoconference. Videos of each discourse sample were transcribed using CHAT conventions. Microstructural variables were extracted using the CLAN (Computerized Language ANalysis) program, whereas thematic informativeness was scored for each sample using TUs. Chi-square tests were conducted to compare both groups on each TU; t tests were also performed on the total score of TUs and microstructural variables. Results Groups were matched on sex, age, and education variables. The t tests revealed no intergroup difference for the total TU score and for the microstructural variables (e.g., mean length of utterances and number of words per minute). Chi-square tests showed no significant intergroup difference for all 16 TUs. Conclusions These findings support remote online assessment of the picnic scene of the WAB-R picture description in Canadian French neurotypical speakers. These results also validate the 16 TUs most consistently produced. The use of videoconference could promote and improve the recruitment of participants who are usually less accessible, such as people using assistive mobility technologies. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.21476961

What We Learn From Listening to Families in Early Childhood Tele-Intervention During the Pandemic

Article

Aug 2022

Purpose Plena Inclusión is the National Federation of Organisations of People with Disabilities in Spain providing services, defending rights, and being an agent of social change. Families who have children with early childhood intervention (ECI) support needs have experienced a changing situation during confinement due to the pandemic. Some of these changes have critically affected some families, whereas others have been able to rely on professional support that has allowed them to develop strengths and improve their functioning as a family. This objective is, precisely, one of the keys to the Family-Centered Practice (FCP) model in ECI. This study aims to explore the narratives of families who have received support in ECI practices during the lockdown in the region of Castilla–La Mancha (Spain) within the frame of Plena Inclusión services. These practices have been directed, in many cases, toward tele-intervention. Method Data have been collected through ethnographic interviews with families and have been processed through thematic analysis. Results The results show the perception of families articulated in two thematic network focuses: the personal and family emotions regarding the past and present moment (fear, loneliness, despair, nervousness, uncertainty, anguish, and frustration) and the emotions experienced also in the present but projected toward future (feeling of competence, hope, adaptation, tranquility as they felt supported by professionals, relief for not being alone, trust in their process, or empowerment, among others). Conclusions In parallel, focus groups with professionals who support these families were carried out, although the results of this analysis will be presented in future reports. The study opens new lines, which evidence the difficulty of the process of transformation toward actual FCPs.

Anxiety of Caregivers in Telerehabilitation Sessions During Covid 19

Article

Full-text available

Jul 2022

Introduction: Pandemics affect people in a defeatist manner and become stressful for people with relatives which need specific forms of care and attention. The study was conducted to find out if anxiety prevails among caretakers during the Covid-19 Pandemic as according to the literature review caregivers experience burden and fears related to their care-recipients and telerehabilitation. Material and Methods: The study used cross sectional survey and quantitative research.50 care-givers participated in the research where they filled online questionnaires inspired and derived from care-giver burden scale and beck anxiety inventory. Anxiety was clearly evident as most of the care-givers agreed to have feelings of nervousness 19 (38%), feeling anxious 18 (36%), feeling distressed 22 (44%), complaints about emotional burden 23 (43%) and 23 (46%) constant immersion in duties towards care-recipients. Results: SPSS tables depict the analyzed results and their interpretation. The results show 36%of the care-givers agreed that they face anxiety when a situation gets out of control, 44% were distressed about not getting enough help from healthcare team and other family and friends, 55% are apprehensive about their present condition and 46% are emotionally challenged and constantly immersed in duties owing to their family members. Conclusions: Anxiety and depression as a result of caregiving burden is common among care-givers and needs to be addressed as soon as possible. This makes it essential that health professionals pay heed and attention to develop interventions for care-givers and provide them with pertinent knowledge. Keywords: anxiety, care burden, caregiver, covid 19, pandemic, telerehabilitation

Experiences of a pediatric speech-language teletherapy practical at a South African university training site during COVID-19: an exploratory qualitative study

Article

Aug 2022

Students and clinical educators have had to adapt to emergency telepractice during the COVID-19 pandemic without much preparation. We sought the experiences of clinical educators and students (n = 11) regarding a pediatric teletherapy practical at a university speech-language therapy clinic in South Africa, a Global South context, via qualitative surveys and a reflective focus group. Findings highlight several challenges experienced when engaging in telepractice, including allocating clients for telepractice, preparing for telepractice sessions, managing caregiver involvement in telepractice, promoting connection with clients online, and adapting supervision style for telepractice. We discuss several implications and considerations for student teletherapy practicals going forward.

Online speech therapy - interaction, efficiency, results

Article

Full-text available

Jul 2021

Elisabeta Anghel

This article discusses some aspects of online speech therapy, regarding the interaction, effectiveness and outcome, the discussion being based on studies conducted both in terms of language disorders and in accordance with the presence of disability. As a base for the research, I have used the survey method, with a questionnaire applied to a number of 51 parents whose children have conducted online speech therapy sessions, mainly synchronously. The advantages and disadvantages of using online therapy are debated from the point of view of both the parent and the speech therapist. The importance of choosing the right therapeutic form (online or classic) being an inherent conclusion.

Kronik kekemelikte tele-terapinin etkililiğinin kontrollü incelenmesi: Karma yöntem araştırması

Thesis

Jul 2015

Mehmet Emrah Cangi

Teleterapia fonoaudiológica en contexto educativo chileno durante la pandemia por covid-19

Article

Full-text available

Dec 2021

Como consecuencia de la pandemia por covid-19 se ha debido implementar medidas como la suspensión de clases presenciales en las escuelas. La necesidad de adaptarse a esta emergencia global y la disponibilidad de herramientas tecnológicas ha permitido la activación de programas destinados a brindar opciones de atención terapéutica en contexto escolar, siendo la teleterapia uno de ellos. Este estudio busca describir el uso de teleterapia fonoaudiológica en educación regular durante la pandemia. Para esto se optó por un diseño tipo cuantitativo descriptivo, que permitió estudiar una muestra de 190 participantes de distintas regiones del país que cumplieron los criterios de elegibilidad, utilizando un cuestionario de Google para la recopilación de información. La información obtenida indica que la teleterapia se realizó con mayor frecuencia a través de sesiones sincrónicas y asincrónicas, de manera individual, una vez por semana y por 30 minutos. Asimismo, las dificultades relacionadas con la señal de internet y la prestación de insumos por parte del empleador fueron las principales barreras. Los resultados sugieren que la teleterapia puede ser una herramienta para dar continuidad a la intervención fonoaudiológica escolar, teniendo en cuenta que el covid-19 modificará radicalmente la prestación de servicios a mediano plazo.

Tele-assessment of cognitive functions in children: a systematic review

Article

Dec 2021

Cognitive Tele-Assessment approach (CTA) has been widely used in adults for clinical, research, and screening purposes. In the last decades, it has been considered a useful tool for evaluating child development in both clinical and educational settings and new instruments for CTA in children have been developed. In comparison to In Person Assessment (IPA), CTA can have several advantages, such as increasing accessibility, cutting waiting lists, reducing time and travel costs, and assisting with infection control by minimizing face-to-face contact in times of pandemic. Nevertheless, several issues related to the feasibility and reliability of using CTA to evaluate cognitive development are still open. The present systematic review has a twofold aim: 1. to describe the cognitive functions that are most frequently measured by CTA in children, the procedures used, and the characteristics of the samples investigated; 2. to investigate the agreement between CTA and IPA scores in children. In the present systematic review, 23 studies using CTA in children, with typical or atypical development, have been selected and analyzed. Results support the similarities in performance scores between IPA and CTA and good compliance by children and their families in participating in CTA. Nonetheless, most studies suggest that several methodological precautions must be taken to manage technical and procedural characteristics that may represent challenges for CTA of children. Suggestions for a correct use of CTA, factors affecting the validity of the results and directions for future research are discussed.

Evolution of Telehealth Technology, Evaluations, and Therapy: Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Pediatric Speech-Language Pathology Services

Article

Nov 2021

Purpose Telehealth services experienced exponential growth during the COVID-19 pandemic. This survey examined the resulting evolution in the technology, connectivity, implementation of services, and attitudes of pediatric speech-language pathology clinicians using synchronous videoconferencing. Method The Telehealth Services: Pediatric Provider Survey participants were 259 speech-language clinicians in a variety of employment settings from across the country and abroad. Analyses identified telehealth barriers eliminated and those that persisted during the pandemic, advantages, and disadvantages of remote delivery of evaluation and treatment services, the most common telehealth technology used by clinicians and their clients to access care, and clinicians' predictions about the optimization and future of telehealth. Results Elimination of regulatory and insurance hurdles allowed children from varying socioeconomic backgrounds living in rural, suburban, and urban areas access to telehealth. Telehealth technology shifted from computers with external hardware and specialized software to commercially available equipment, such as handheld portable devices with built-in audiovisual components and publicly available videoconferencing platforms. However, connectivity of these devices continued to be problematic, and lack of technology prevented some children from accessing care. Judgments about the appropriateness and effectiveness of evaluations and treatments varied based on the age and communication disorder of a child. Although some participants expressed uncertainty about the effectiveness of telehealth compared with in-person care, telehealth was widely recognized as a viable delivery method. Conclusions Although clinicians reported many advantages of telehealth, some barriers identified reported prior to COVID-19 still persist. Clinicians anticipate that new developments have the potential to continue improving telehealth service delivery, bolstering the viability of telehealth long after the COVID-19 pandemic is gone. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.16959361

Adapting to Telepractice: Views of Graduate Student Clinicians

Article

Oct 2021

Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate the initial perceptions of speech-language pathology graduate student clinicians following implementation of telepractice using survey questions. Method The study used thematic analysis to answer three research questions: (a) How comfortable and confident are graduate student clinicians using telepractice? (b) What are the differences between in-person and telepractice service delivery? (c) What surprised graduate student clinicians about telepractice? Results Thirty first-year graduate student clinicians completed the survey following 5 weeks of telepractice service delivery. Findings revealed that, initially, graduate student clinicians felt nervous and uncertain about administering speech-language therapy through telepractice but eventually became more comfortable and confident with the new therapy delivery model. Differences between in-person and telepractice involved more attention to clinician's facial expressions, learning technology, managing environmental distractions at home, and the necessity for caregiver involvement. Graduate student clinicians expressed mixed perceptions of treatment effectiveness through telepractice, which may be associated with the client's attention, communication severity, and clinician's motivation. In the end, graduate student clinicians shared positive reflections of this learning experience. Conclusions As speech therapy through telepractice continues, students will require guidance about this service delivery model. This study described graduate students' perceptions of telepractice, which may be applied to academic clinical curriculum.

International Telepractice: Encouraging Equity, Partnership, and Sustainability

Article

Oct 2021

Purpose The following commentary outlines the principles of international telepractice with regard to speech-language pathology and audiology services. Additionally, this commentary provides critical caveats and concerns surrounding international telepractice as well as a summary of principles to follow as telepractice programs encourage access to care and bidirectional, sustainable, and ethical practice development. Conclusions Telepractice among communication disorders professionals has grown exponentially in recent years. With the rise in telepractice opportunities, easier access to digital practice platforms, and increased Internet access through mobile devices, telepractice is a popular therapeutic modality in the communication disorders field. Telepractice applications have extended beyond therapeutic services alone and into clinical education among speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and audiologists (AUDs). Telepractice has also extended beyond national borders called international telepractice. This practice has the potential to improve access to critical rehabilitative and therapeutic services, build capacity in allied rehabilitation systems, and encourage global bidirectional partnership among SLPs and AUDs. However, this practice should not proceed without caution, and the ethical implications should be carefully and critically considered.

A Preliminary Investigation of Social Justice Perceptions Among U.S. Speech-Language Pathologists: Clinical Implications

Article

Sep 2021

Purpose The purpose of this survey research is to provide preliminary data regarding speech-language pathologists' (SLPs') perceptions of the role that social justice (SJ) plays in their work. As our professional organizations call us to advocate and communicate with regulatory agencies and legislative bodies to promote quality care for all individuals, this topic has become particularly important at this time. At present, there is a lack of data in peer-reviewed publications within the discipline of communication disorders on SJ and even less regarding the perceptions of SLPs on SJ. Method The survey was sent to American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)-certified SLPs, identified by the ASHA ProFind database, across six U.S. geographic regions, including both urban and rural communities. Four themes were explored through the survey: (a) importance of SJ, (b) awareness of SJ, (c) current practices related to SJ, and (d) barriers to SJ implementation. Results The majority of respondents view SJ as important to the profession (91.2%) and value the work of creating equality among groups (96.0%). Many SLPs are actively involved in implementing SJ principles in their own practice by accepting Medicaid (40.7%), engaging in political outreach (55.0%), and providing transdisciplinary educational outreach (77.9%). Identified barriers to incorporating SJ include time (62.7%), resources (65.6%), and finances (70.0%). Conclusions Working for SJ is important to a majority of the respondents, and various efforts are implemented to create equal opportunities for service to clients. Barriers continue to exist that limit the degree to which SLPs can work toward SJ. A list of actions to be considered in order to promote SJ in the field is provided. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.16584044

Pediatric Cochlear Implantation

Chapter

Jan 2021

Pediatric cochlear implantation has transformed the opportunity for children with severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss to acquire listening and spoken language. A multidisciplinary team effort, specialized skills, and timely coordination are critical to the successful achievement of these goals, starting from the determination of candidacy to the delivery of services, and transitions through various stages of language acquisition and educational settings. The candidacy process includes the characterization of auditory dysfunction and the evaluation of comorbidities and the peripheral auditory anatomy that may affect the feasibility and safety of the surgical intervention. The establishment of reasonable family goals and expectations provides an important roadmap for sustained commitment to the long habilitation process. The pediatric implant surgeon must have knowledge of the unique surgical challenges including inner ear malformations and the prevention and management of wound and device complications. The facility must be equipped to carry out play audiometry and the technical aspects of device programming to achieve a functional map in a young child. Consistent and frequent rehabilitation sessions and parent coaching after surgery are necessary to build a strong language scaffold. Close collaboration between surgeon, audiologist, auditory therapist, and educator is required to optimize sensory input and access to speech in the therapeutic and educational settings. In addition to age at implantation, parental sensitivity to the language learning needs of their child is an important determinant of language achievement in children with cochlear implants. Increased attention to the needs of families as the primary source of language input to an infant or toddler offers additional opportunity for enhancing outcomes.

Book Sharing With AAC Over Telepractice: A Tutorial

Article

Full-text available

Jun 2021

Telepractice offers speech-language pathologists (SLPs) increased flexibility to support language development, including emergent literacy in clients with complex communication needs. However, clinicians may feel uncertain how to pair books with augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) over telepractice. Following an overview of telepractice, book sharing, and e-helpers, we describe four practical ways to combine storybooks with AAC online. These include: (a) using accessible books, (b) screen sharing e-books and communication aid, (c) adapting slide shows, and (d) creating asynchronous videos. Finally, we offer suggestions for modeling AAC, prioritizing emotions in storybooks, and tips for clinical supervisors. This topic can direct future researchers and is relevant to practicing clinicians who want to support language development for clients using aided communication systems.

The Five W's Meet the Three R's: The Who, What, When, Where, and Why of Telepractice Service Delivery for School-Based Speech-Language Therapy Services

Article

Mar 2021

Sue Grogan-Johnson

School-based speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are implementing telecommunication technologies for service provision. Telepractice is one among an array of service delivery models that can be successfully implemented in the public-school setting. While many school-based SLPs have been plunged into telepractice with the recent pandemic, this temporary shift to emergency instruction is not the same as fully implementing a telepractice service delivery model. SLPs who recognize the potential application of telecommunications would profit from additional training and experience to take advantage of the benefits of this service delivery model. The purpose of this article is to explore the concept of telepractice as a service delivery model, and to answer the who, what, when, where, and why questions of school-based telepractice. Telepractice is one of several service delivery models that school-based SLPs can confidently utilize to provide effective speech and language therapy services to school-age students.

Speech Therapy Clinic Workflow at One of the Government Hospitals in Saudi Arabia: Process Analysis and Recommendations

Conference Paper

Oct 2020

Stuttering therapy through telepractice in Turkey: A mixed method study

Article

Sep 2020
J FLUENCY DISORD

Purpose: The effectiveness of telepractice in stuttering therapy in Turkey may be unclear, but there is good evidence for the efficaciousness of it from other countries, e.g., Australia. The purpose of the present study is to compare the outcomes of telepractice and in-person therapy delivery on traditional stuttering treatment and explore telepractice stuttering therapy experience in Turkey. Methods: 20 adults who stutter participated in the study. Half the participants received treatment via telepractice, while the others were provided with services in-clinic. Based on a convergent parallel mixed-method research, quantitative (Study 1) and qualitative data (Study 2) were collected in parallel, analyzed separately, and then combined. Study 1 included a non-inferiority controlled trial, repeated measures, quasiexperimental design. Within the scope of the quantitative research, the objective clinical data, including the scale and assessment scores, were collected from two groups in three stages. Study 2 used the phenomenology approach to assess the qualitative aspects of our study. Results: According to the quantitative findings in Study 1, the effectiveness of telepractice and in-person in the post-test and follow up is not significantly different. The following themes emerged out of the qualitative data analysis in Study 2: expectation, telepractice-participant suitability and advantages of telepractice, technology, therapy techniques and clinician skills, therapeutic components, satisfaction, and preference. Conclusion: The triangulation of quantitative and qualitative findings indicated that these data sets were compatible in general. The results show that telepractice is equally effective as the in-person method as a service delivery method for adults who stutter.

Teleaudiology

Chapter

Mar 2020

This chapter is an introduction to the concepts and delivery of telemedicine (telehealth) services. The methods used by the National Network of Teleaudiology (NNT), at the World Hearing Center in the Kajetany, Poland have resulted in efficacious otology and audiology outcomes. These services include telefitting with cochlear implants, telediagnostics, telerehabiliation, and teleducation. It appears the long-term services provided through the NNT are effective and cost-effective. Consequently, service models discussed in this paper appear to be reasonable blueprints to follow by clinicians interested in starting a teleaudiology or teleotology program. (Page 323).

Delivering allied health services to regional and remote participants on the autism spectrum via video-conferencing technology: lessons learned

Article

Full-text available

Jul 2019
Rural Rem Health

Context: The introduction of individualised funding under the NDIS in Australia aimed to increase individual choice and control over how people received disability supports. An increase in the allied health disability workforce was anticipated however, disability workforce sector reports have consistently indicated difficulties in attracting and retaining sufficient allied health staff to satisfy current and future demand. Autism Spectrum Disorder is the most prevalent primary diagnosis of participants receiving individualised funding to date and requires support staff to have specialised skills and experience. Given that overall staff attraction and retention issues are reported to be exacerbated in regional and remote areas of Australia, it is important to seek innovative ways of supporting individuals on the autism spectrum in their local community. Technology has the potential to provide a timely and low-cost alternative that extends access to specialist services for people in remote locations. Aims of the evaluation: The current project aimed to identify the feasibility, essential requirements and potential barriers in delivering therapy support to regional and remote participants on the autism spectrum via video-conferencing technology.

PiCs: Telepractice coaching for a parent of a child who is hard-of-hearing

Article

Mar 2019

Services for families of young children with low-incidence disabilities (e.g. deaf/hard-of-hearing, DHH) are expensive to deliver and may not be available in all geographic regions. Parents of children who are DHH may be taught and coached to implement strategies to encourage communication. The purpose of this single-case multiple-baseline design study was to implement and assess telepractice teaching and coaching of a parent whose child is hard-of-hearing. The parent was taught to implement naturalistic teaching strategies for communication using the Parent-implemented Communication Strategies (PiCS) protocols (Meadan, H., Angell, M. E., Stoner, J. B., & Daczewitz, M. E. (2014). Parent-implemented social-pragmatic communication intervention: A pilot study. Focus on Autism and other Developmental Disabilities, 29, 1–16. doi:10.1177/1088357613517504). Results varied across strategies, and the parent expressed satisfaction with the goals, procedures, and outcomes of the intervention. Implications include recommendations for practitioners and researchers.

Cora Barclay Centre Uses Videoconferencing to Reach Students Who are Deaf and Hearing Impaired in Remote Locations

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2001

Jill Duncan

Published in the Australian Journal of Education of the Deaf; now known as Deafness & Education Internationl

Perceived Needs of Students with Low-Incidence Disabilities in Rural Areas

Article

Full-text available

Sep 2005

We examined the current perspectives of service providers, administrators, and parents who are linked to the provision of special education and related services to learners with low-incidence disabilities in the United States. The purposes of the investigation were to gain information from the various respondents concerning the adequacy and availability of appropriate educational services for students with low-incidence disabilities and provide information regarding the need for additional services and supports. A detailed survey instrument that included a variety of open-ended response items was developed and mailed to the membership of two professional organizations with strong connections to rural special education. Responses indicated that the biggest areas of need were for highly qualified personnel with the necessary skills and knowledge to meet the needs of learners with low-incidence disabilities and for timely information that would support the education of these learners. Implications for how these concerns can be addressed are provided within the framework of four major functions including: information provision, teacher preparation, local school support, and research.

Speech production results: Speech feature acquisition

Article

Full-text available

Jan 1994

Auditory-Verbal Practice: Toward a Family-Centered Approach

Article

Full-text available

Dec 2010

Ellen Rhoades

Telerehabilitation: An Adjunct Service Delivery Model For Early Intervention Services Telerehabilitation: An Adjunct Service Delivery Model for Early Intervention Services

Article

Full-text available

May 2011

Jana Cason

Abstr act Early Intervention (EI) services for children birth through two years of age are mandated by Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA); however, personnel shortages, particularly in rural areas, limit access for children who qualify. Telerehabilitation has the potential to build capacity among caregivers and local providers as well as promote family-centered services through remote consultation. This article provides an overview of research related to telerehabilitation and early intervention services; discusses the feasibility of telerehabilitation within traditional EI service delivery models; examines telecommunications technology associated with telerehabilitation; and provides hypothetical case examples designed to illustrate potential applications of telerehabilitation in early intervention. Early intervention (EI) services for children from birth through two years of age are designed to promote development and improve the quality of life of infants and toddlers who have been identified as having a disability or developmental delay. A primary goal of EI services is to enhance the capacity of families to help their child learn, achieve developmental milestones, and participate in home and community activities. EI services for children from birth through two years of age are mandated by Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA); however, personnel shortages, particularly in rural areas, limit access for children who qualify. Telerehabilitation is a service delivery model that demonstrates the potential to deliver EI services effectively and efficiently, thereby ameliorating the impact of provider shortages in underserved areas.

Home Visiting: Procedures for Helping Families

Book

Jan 2001

Effective Speech-language Pathology: A Cognitive Socialization Approach

Book

Mar 2014

John R. Muma

Teaching Deaf Children to Talk

Article

Oct 2008

The Tyranny of Distance: How Distance Shaped Australia's History

Article

Jun 1969

Telepractice in the City: The Story of The Visiting Nurse Service of New York Home Care

Article

Oct 2006

Daniel J. Carpenedo

Venturing into Telehealth: Applying Interactive Technologies to Stuttering Treatment

Article

Jun 2002

Deborah Kelly

Low Incidence Disabilities and Personnel Preparation for Rural Areas: Current Status and Future Trends

Article

Sep 2005

The shortages of special education personnel are nowhere more severe than in low incidence disabilities in rural schools. This article presents the results of a national study that identified shortage estimates, state certification patterns, personnel preparation programs, and distance delivery mechanisms and examined relationships among these data to assess the state of shortages of special educators in the areas of vision impairments, hearing impairments, severe disabilities, and early intervention. The authors outline current issues and future trends in preparing personnel in low incidence disabilities for rural areas.

Teaching Children With Hearing Impairment To Listen and Speak When the Home Language is Not English

Article

May 2011

M. Douglas

Longitudinal data analysis using generalized linear models

Article

Jan 1986
BIOMETRIKA

Applications in Teleaudiology

Chapter

Sep 2013

Teleaudiology, the delivery of audiology services at a distance using telecommunications technologies, represents a growing area of opportunity for clinical practice. While audiology is a mature discipline whose development was fueled by World Wars I and II, advances in teleaudiology are relatively recent, having occurred over the past decade. Teleaudiology service delivery models include synchronous, asynchronous (i.e., store-and-forward) and hybrid approaches. As examples, computer-based teleaudiology technologies have been demonstrated to: perform puretone audiometry; measure otoacoustic emissions; program cochlear implants via neural response/telemetry assessment; and perform video-otoscopy. With further development of computer-based tympanometry, synchronous impedance testing via teleaudiology is soon to become a reality. Low technology teleaudiology applications are also developing. Teleaudiology appears very promising, as most of the teleaudiology applications reported upon thus far have demonstrated outcomes comparable to in-person interactions.

The effect of videoconference-based telerehabilitation on story retelling performance by brain-injured subjects and its implications for remote speech-language therapy

Article

Jun 2004

This paper presents results from a study conducted at the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center (RERC) on Telerehabilitation at the National Rehabilitation Hospital. The study was designed to measure performance by brain-injured subjects, with medical diagnoses of stroke or traumatic brain injury, on a standardized Speech-Language Pathology evaluation conducted in both face-to-face and videoconference-based telerehabilitation settings. The Story Retelling Procedure (SRP), which measures connected language production and comprehension of spoken narratives, was administered to each subject in both settings. The primary objectives of this study were to: (1) compare communication as measured by the SRP between experimental settings, and (2) determine if subject variables (such as age, education, technology experience or gender) had an effect on performance differences between settings. The rationale was that any difference in this aspect of performance must be identified and characterized before this mode of intervention can be used clinically. Across all subjects (n=40), no significant difference (p>0.05) was found between SRP performance measured in the two settings. Additionally, variables including age, education, technology experience, and gender did not significantly affect the difference between performance in the two settings. Overall, subjects reported a high level of acceptance of videoconferencing with 34 subjects responding "yes," 4 responding "no," and 2 responding "maybe" when asked if they would use videoconferencing again to talk to a clinician. Results of this study confirm the potential for SLP treatment using videoconferencing and indicate a need for continued research in the field.

Ethical and legal issues related to telepractice

Article

Feb 2005

The subject of audiologists providing services over a distance via telepractice is attracting the attention of the profession. The new service delivery model will challenge us to exploit its potential without violating legal constraints or compromising our affirmative ethical responsibilities. This article provides an overview of the implications of current state licensure laws on telepractice and a look at the issues of competence, standard of care, privacy, informed consent, and the use of support personnel. Several principles are offered to guide the practitioner and additional resources are suggested.

Two States Pass Telemedicine Coverage Mandates

Article

Jul 2012

Janice A. Brannon

Telepractice in the Schools: Virtual Services Help Clinicians Do More with Less

Article

Sep 2009

Jeanne M. Juenger

Telepractice Brings Voice Treatment From Hawaii to Japan

Article

Nov 2005

Speech Telepractice Program Expands Options for Rural Oklahoma Schools

Article

Aug 2006

Pamela G Forducey

Telemedicine offers remote cochlear implant programming

Article

Jan 2006

Professional learning communities: What are they and why are they important?

Article

Jan 1997

S.M. Hord

Trends and Challenges in Teacher Preparation in Deaf Education

Article

Jun 2010

Susan Lenihan

Recent developments in deaf education are influencing teacher preparation programs, which are facing challenges in meeting the critical need for highly qualified teachers. Of approximately 65 teacher preparation programs in the United States, 11 programs focus primarily on preparing teachers to work with children who are deaf or hard of hearing and who use listening and spoken language, and 54 programs focus primarily on visual communication strategies. Advances in technology, changes in the population of children served, and shifts in educational placements and certification requirements are trends that impact teacher preparation programs. Challenges to these programs include issues related to faculty, university support, curriculum development, student recruitment, and recognition of the profession's value.

Telementoring in global organizations: Computer mediated communication technologies and mentoring networks

Article

Jan 2012

Speech-Language Pathologists: Vital Listening and Spoken Language Professionals

Article

Jun 2010

Determining the most effective methods and techniques to facilitate the spoken language development of individuals with hearing loss has been a focus of practitioners for centuries. Due to modern advances in hearing technology, earlier identification of hearing loss, and immediate enrollment in early intervention, children with hearing loss are experiencing greater success in their acquisition of spoken language, especially when they have access to well-trained professionals. Speech-language pathologists who have the necessary knowledge, experience, and skills can play a vital role in the communicative and educational development of young children with hearing loss. Fortunately, some university training programs are providing a needed focus on auditory learning and spoken language for preservice students in speech-language pathology. However, to meet an increasing need for these services, speech-language pathologists currently in the field should commit to ongoing professional development to ensure that all children with hearing loss have access to highly-qualified professionals who can foster listening and spoken language development.

From Colorado to Guam: Infant Diagnostic Audiological Evaluations by Telepractice

Article

Dec 2012

This manuscript describes a pilot project in which infants in Guam who refer on newborn hearing screening receive diagnostic audiological evaluation conducted by audiologists in Colorado over the Internet (telepractice). The evaluation is completed in real time using commercially-available software and personal computers to control the diagnostic audiological equipment remotely, and videoconferencing with support personnel and the family. Test results for 9 infants, all of whom received complete diagnostic assessment by auditory-evoked potentials and otoacoustic emissions, are described. Further elaboration is provided on steps to establishing the project and how regulatory, privacy and confidentiality, and professional practice issues in telepractice are addressed.

Communication Choices and Outcomes During the Early Years: An Assessment and Evidence-based Approach

Article

Jan 2012

Arlene stredler-brown

A longstanding debate attempts to identify the best approach to language learning for children who are deaf or hard of hearing. Empirical evidence has not provided an answer. Each communication approach has been demonstrated to work with some children; it then becomes the responsibility of an early interventionist or educator to participate in the selection of an approach that supports the development of effective and age-appropriate communication and language for the individual child. This chapter describes the language approaches available to children with hearing loss. Historical approaches and recent adaptations are presented according to the modality or modes that are used. An extensive review of procedures, old and new, dedicated to the use of objective and prescriptive procedures to select an approach is discussed. A recent movement to use evidence-based practices (EBP) to document developmental outcomes of children is described, along with the challenges associated with implementing this practice.

An Evaluation of Virtual Home Visits in Early Intervention: Feasibility of "Virtual Intervention"

Article

Dec 2012

The provision of consistent high quality home- and community-based services to children with disabilities living in rural and frontier areas is a challenge. Distance, weather, geographic terrain (mountains, canyons), and shortages of pediatric early interventionists are among the challenges to ensuring appropriate and equitable services. Videoconferencing offers a viable means to address these challenges and is becoming increasingly accepted due to the popular use and rapid advancement of voice-over-Internet protocol (VoIP) technology, Internet expansion, the growing "digital native" population, and coaching service models. This article offers a rationale for using a telepractice model for early intervention-virtual home visits (VHV) conducted via videoconferencing-and describes components of the service model, including equipment needs, costs, and training requirements. Additionally, the article summarizes evaluation results, including service provider and family satisfaction with the use of technology, and a comparison of interactions during home visits conducted face-to-face with those via VHV.

A Model of Early Intervention for Children with Hearing Loss Provided through Telepractice

Article

Dec 2012

Children who are deaf and hard of hearing and their families need access to appropriate early intervention services that are delivered by professionals who are well trained and experienced using their chosen communication approach. Unfortunately, a lack of qualified practitioners, especially in remote and rural communities, and limited funding can affect the quality of services that are provided to some children. Advances in telecommunication and distance technology have led to models of telepractice that can provide access to appropriate services and reduce overall costs. While more efficacy research is needed, preliminary findings support the delivery of early intervention services through these distant service delivery models. Professionals who embrace models of telepractice can help to ensure that more children with hearing loss and their families receive the intervention to which they are entitled.

A survey of LSLS Cert.AVTs who Mentor: Fostering independence to endow the future

Article

Jun 2010

The authors surveyed 64 Listening and Spoken Language Specialist Certified Auditory-Verbal Therapists (LSLS Cert. AVTs) who mentor professionals seeking certification. Mentors answered questions regarding demographic characteristics, the organization and delivery of mentoring practice, and challenges and solutions faced by mentors. This group of mentors mirrored the larger population of LSLS Cert. AVTs in distribution of professions, work sites, and countries of origin. Respondents averaged more than 8 years of experience. Highest on the list of desirable goals for mentors was the development of mentee independence in the application of auditory-verbal principles, techniques, and case management. Mentors desired guidelines for practice and networking opportunities.

An introduction to telehealth as a service delivery model within occupational therapy

Article

Apr 2012

Jana Cason

Telehealth is an emerging service delivery model for occupational therapy that uses information and communication technologies to deliver evaluative, consultative, preventative, and therapeutic services to clients who are in a different location than the practitioner. This article defines terminology related to telehealth, outlines benefits of implementing a telehealth service delivery model within occupational therapy, examines current evidence, and discusses considerations and resources for legal and ethical practice using telehealth technologies.

Telepractice: A Wide-Angle View for Persons with Hearing Loss

Article

Dec 2012

This paper presents the current status of telepractice as a service delivery model for persons with hearing loss. Telepractice can be broadly viewed as the delivery of preventative, habilitation, or rehabilitation services through telecommunications technology. Telemedicine and telehealth are closely aligned to telepractice, often with overlapping nomenclature, function, and common delivery systems. The technologies for telepractice are potentially but "a click away" for persons with hearing loss and their families. However, a full realization of this delivery model's benefits, barriers, and limitations is just beginning to emerge. On the professional side, challenges include the need for ethical, privacy, and other policy issues to keep pace with advances in technology; moreover, services provided via telepractice are not uniformly reimbursed. With the exception of federally-based practice settings, state licensure requirements do not efficiently engender interstate license portability and reciprocity. On the consumer-side, the challenges are to recognize the power of telepractice and acquire the knowledge to become informed consumers.

Telemedicine in dermatology: A randomized controlled trial

Article

Jan 2006

The Center for Hearing and Speech: Bilingual Support Services through Videoconferencing Technology

Article

Dec 2012

Michael Douglas

Many listening and spoken language specialists find themselves serving increasing numbers of children with hearing loss who come from families whose primary language is not English. This manuscript describes a variety of methods that can meet the needs of this ever-growing population by highlighting the dual-language support program at the Center for Hearing and Speech in Houston, Texas. The center uses videoconferencing technology and indirect methods of service delivery through remote consultations to serve this unique population.

RIDBC Teleschool: A hub of expertise

Article

Dec 2012

Melissa McCarthy

Using ASHA Guidelines to establish a telepractice service

Article

Jan 2012

Melissa McCarthy

TeleIntervention: Improving Service Delivery to Young Children With Hearing Loss and Their Families Through Telepractice

Article

Dec 2011

K. Todd Houston

As telecommunication technology continues to evolve, opportunities are emerging for telepractice to meet the communication needs of children with hearing loss. As well, documented shortages of well-trained speech-language pathologists and pediatric audiologists are leading some centers to augment their service delivery through telepractice as a means to meet a need for qualified providers. For families of young children with hearing loss, obtaining services that support auditory learning and spoken language can be a challenge in some communities. One form of telepractice, teleintervention, provides early intervention services to families of children with hearing loss using internet-based videoconferencing to model and coach parents in language facilitation techniques. Though it is a relatively new service delivery model, preliminary results are promising.

Multicultural Students with Special Language Needs

Book

Jan 2008

Celeste Roseberry-McKibbin

For Children With Hearing Loss: The Times They Are A-changin’

Article

Sep 2010

Today, children with hearing loss have more opportunities than ever before to use audition and to achieve age-appropriate spoken language and academic outcomes. Several factors are driving these new outcomes, including universal newborn hearing screening and earlier diagnosis of hearing loss, immediate fitting of advanced hearing technology, and enrollment in appropriate early intervention services. For speech-language pathologists and audiologists, these changes mean altering how these children and their families are served, including the types of diagnostic evaluations that are conducted. Specifically, if speech-language pathologists are to remain vital service providers, they must raise their professional expectations for what these children can ultimately achieve.

Using technology to support children with sensory disability in remote areas: the RIDBC Teleschool Model

Article

May 2011

Melissa McCarthy

The Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children (RIDBC) provides specialist support to children with a sensory disability, e.g., a vision or hearing impairment. Recent developments in telecommunications technologies have enabled RIDBC to expand their services to better support families and children living in regional and remote areas of Australia. This paper outlines the challenges of accessing support in regional and remote areas, the innovative uses of telecommunications technologies, the specific technologies that have been trialled, the model of service delivery and the technologies currently in use.

Evaluating the Feasibility of Using Remote Technology for Cochlear Implants

Article

Dec 2012

The use of remote technology to provide cochlear implant services has gained popularity in recent years. This article contains a review of research evaluating the feasibility of remote service delivery for recipients of cochlear implants. To date, published studies have determined that speech-processor programming levels and other objective tests (electrode impedance and electrically evoked compound action potentials) are equivalent to those obtained in the face-to-face condition. Despite these promising findings, speech perception using remote technology has proven to be more challenging. Previous investigations have evaluated speech perception with recipients of cochlear implants using videoconference (Polycom) equipment in nonsound-treated rooms (due to lack of access to audiological sound booths in rural areas). Results have revealed poorer speech perception scores using remote technology compared to face-to-face results. Additionally, it has been shown that Polycom transmission of a speech stimulus does not cause significant compression for adequate evaluation; rather, poorer results are due to testing performed in nonsound-treated environments. Based on the literature, telepractice is a feasible option for cochlear implant service delivery. Barriers to the wide-spread use of remote services for recipients of cochlear implants include a uniform system for the evaluation of speech perception, validation of services for pediatric recipients and initial activations, license reciprocity, and reimbursement for services.

UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI COMPARISON OF TELEMEDICINE TO TRADITIONAL FACE-TO-FACE CARE FOR CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL HEALTH CARE NEEDS: ANALYSIS OF COST, CARING, AND FAMILY-CENTERED CARE

Article

Mary Hooshmand

Videoconferencing for Speech and Language Therapy in Schools

Article

Jan 2000

TeachSpeech [1] is an innovative project that is investigating the use of high-quality videoconferencing technologies to deliver remote speech and language therapy support services to school children with communication difficulties. This paper reports the progress of the project, from initial concept through to the trial and preliminary results. The telepresence trial encompasses both tele-health and tele-education issues. The videoconferencing application has the potential to reduce costs while simultaneously improving access to speech and language therapy services.

Enhancing Parent Child Interactions through Home Visiting: Promising Practice or Unfulfilled Promise?

Article

Dec 2007

Many intervention programs use home visiting to target enhanced parent-child interactions; however, few studies have examined specific intervention strategies, limiting the potential utility of evaluation results to guide practice, research, or policy effectively. In this paper, we recommend that researchers and program evaluators open the "black box" of home visiting intervention strategies. We initiate this effort by exploring the overall intervention processes in two home visiting programs and describing specific strategies (e.g., coaching and modeling) interventionists used during triadic interactions with the parent and child together. One study included 28 families parenting a child with a disability and receiving Part C services, and the second study included 92 families receiving Early Head Start services. Interventions were not homogeneous across programs or families. Minimal time was focused on facilitating parent-child interactions; when these strategies were used, however, mothers were more likely to be engaged in the intervention activities.

Using Desktop Videoconferencing to Deliver Interventions to a Preschool Student With Autism

Article

Feb 2010

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of functional communication training on elopement when consultation support is delivered via desktop videoconferencing. An ABAB design was used to evaluate the effectiveness of functional communication training to reduce the elopement of a preschool student with autism. Intervention development, teacher training, and data collection were conducted at a distance using technology. Results show that the teaching staff was able to implement the intervention with a high degree of fidelity and that elopement was significantly reduced during intervention phases. The authors discuss the implications of using desktop videoconferencing to deliver consultation support, along with future applications in early childhood settings.

Part H Early Intervention Program: Legislative History and Intent of the Law

Article

Jul 1995

Lani Florian

This article reviews the legislative history of P.L. 99–457, the Education of the Handicapped Act Amendments of 1986, which created a new program of early intervention services for infants and toddlers with disabilities. Legislative history research was undertaken to document the intent of Part H of P.L. 99–457. The concerns of policymakers are identified and provide a framework for considering the achievements of the law. The unique features of Part H and its status are discussed in the context of current uncertainty about its future.

Placing Parent Education in Conceptual and Empirical Context

Article

Sep 1999

Carl Dunst

Home-Based Early Intervention with Families of Children with Disabilities: Who is Doing What?

Article

Jun 1997

Home visits are one mechanism for providing comprehensive services to young children with disabilities and their families, as required by Part H of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1990. This study reports observational data describing the content addressed and the processes employed by early childhood special educators during home visits with children with disabilities, birth to 3 years of age, and their families. The extent to which home visits were individualized was examined in terms of available family resources and level of child's caretaking demands. Findings revealed that a model of child-focused intervention was most frequently implemented. Some evidence was found to indicate that the content of home visits was more likely to focus on the child when family resources were adequate, and that the role of the interventionist was more likely to be that of an observer when children had greater care-taking demands.

Early Intervention Providers' Perspectives About Implementing Participation-Based Practices

Article

Jan 2010

Early intervention providers submitted videotapes of home visits as part of requirements for a professional development course. Taped visits were classified into two practice groups: providers who demonstrated use of participation-based practices and those who did not (i.e., traditional practices). A sample of providers, selected from each of these groups, were interviewed to elicit perspectives about implementing participation-based practices. Findings indicate that providers, regardless of practice classification, did not fully understand participation-based practices. In particular, a provider role of promoting children’s participation in family/community activities and routines was not articulated. The caregiver’s role as facilitator of the child’s participation and learning was seldom described although the importance of involving, teaching, and supporting caregivers was acknowledged. Most providers described themselves as able to implement optimal services for only a small percentage of families and attributed both their ability and inability to family characteristics.

Expanding Use of Telepractice in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology

Abstract

No full-text available

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