Does Online Speech Therapy Work for Children? A Guide for Newcastle Families
For many families, finding the right speech pathologist can be challenging. Appointment availability, travel time and fitting regular therapy around school and family life can all make accessing consistent support more difficult.
For families in Newcastle and across the Hunter, Telehealth speech therapy provides another option. Children can work with a qualified speech pathologist online from home, with sessions tailored to their communication needs and goals.
But does online speech therapy actually work for children? And what does a Telehealth appointment look like?
What Is Telehealth Speech Therapy?
Telehealth speech therapy is speech pathology delivered through a secure video appointment rather than in a clinic.
Your child and their speech pathologist can see and speak with each other in real time. Depending on your child's age and goals, sessions may involve interactive games, pictures, stories, conversation activities, speech exercises and other digital resources.
For younger children, parents or caregivers may also be actively involved in the session. This allows the speech pathologist to demonstrate strategies that can then be incorporated into everyday routines at home.
At Grow & Tell, we provide paediatric Telehealth speech therapy to families throughout Newcastle and the Hunter, allowing children to access therapy without travelling to a Sydney clinic.
What Can Online Speech Therapy Help With?
Telehealth can be used to support many of the same communication goals addressed during face-to-face speech pathology.
Depending on the individual child, a speech pathologist may provide support with:
Speech sounds and pronunciation
Receptive language — understanding words, questions and instructions
Expressive language — using words and sentences to communicate
Literacy and early literacy skills
Social communication
Building confidence with communication
Parent education and strategies for supporting communication at home
Every child is different, so therapy should be based on an individual assessment of their strengths, needs and goals.
Is Online Speech Therapy Effective for Children?
Telehealth can work very well for many children, particularly when sessions are designed specifically for online delivery rather than simply trying to recreate a clinic appointment through a screen.
Children are often already comfortable interacting with technology. A speech pathologist can use this to make therapy engaging through interactive activities, visual resources, games and shared materials.
Telehealth also has another important advantage: therapy takes place in the child's everyday environment.
Parents can be involved in learning strategies and activities that can be practised between appointments. This can help families incorporate communication goals into everyday situations such as play, reading, mealtimes and getting ready for school.
Will My Child Stay Engaged on a Screen?
This is one of the most common concerns parents have about Telehealth.
A good Telehealth speech therapy session shouldn't involve a child simply sitting and listening to a clinician talk for an entire appointment.
Paediatric speech pathologists can incorporate games, movement, conversation, visual activities, rewards and your child's interests into therapy.
The approach can also be adjusted according to the child's age. A school-aged child may participate relatively independently, while therapy for a younger child may involve more parent coaching and play-based activities.
If Telehealth doesn't appear appropriate for a particular child, this should be discussed with their speech pathologist.
What Does a Telehealth Speech Therapy Session Look Like?
Sessions will vary depending on the child's goals.
For example, a child working on speech sounds might practise particular sounds through games and structured activities. A child working on language may practise following instructions, answering questions, building sentences or telling stories.
Children working on social communication might practise conversations, interpreting different situations or developing strategies they can use with peers.
Your speech pathologist may also discuss progress with you and recommend activities or strategies to practise between sessions.
The goal isn't simply to complete activities during the appointment. It's to help communication skills carry over into home, school and everyday life.
Telehealth Can Make Regular Therapy Easier
Consistency can be important when a child is working towards communication goals.
For Newcastle families, travelling to appointments can add considerable time to the week — particularly when juggling school, siblings and work.
Telehealth removes the commute.
Your child can attend from home, and families don't need to factor in travel to and from a clinic for every appointment.
This can be particularly helpful for families outside central Newcastle or elsewhere throughout the Hunter.
Where Is Telehealth Speech Therapy Available?
Grow & Tell provides online paediatric speech pathology to families throughout Newcastle and the Hunter, including families in:
Newcastle, Merewether, Hamilton, New Lambton, Lambton, Mayfield, Wallsend, Kotara, Charlestown, Lake Macquarie and Maitland, as well as surrounding communities.
Because appointments are delivered online, Telehealth is also available to families elsewhere in Australia.
Can NDIS Funding Be Used for Telehealth Speech Pathology?
Grow & Tell welcomes self-managed and plan-managed NDIS participants for Telehealth speech pathology.
Private clients can also access our Telehealth services.
If you're unsure whether Telehealth speech pathology can be funded under your child's current NDIS plan, you can contact our team to discuss your circumstances before booking.
Is Telehealth Right for My Child?
There isn't one format of therapy that will be the best choice for every child.
A child's age, communication goals, attention, individual preferences and the level of parent involvement available can all influence whether Telehealth is suitable.
For many families, however, online speech therapy provides a convenient way to access regular paediatric speech pathology without needing to live close to their clinician.
The important thing is finding a speech pathologist who understands your child's needs and can adapt therapy accordingly.
Looking for Speech Therapy in Newcastle?
Grow & Tell provides paediatric speech therapy via Telehealth for children across Newcastle and the Hunter.
Our speech pathologists support children with speech, language, fluency, literacy and social communication goals through personalised online therapy.
→ Learn more about our Speech Therapy Newcastle | Paediatric Telehealth service
