We are very excited to offer teletherapy at PediaPlex! With all of the recent changes in the Dallas & Fort Worth area, we want to be able to accommodate all of our families to the best of our abilities. As many of you know, we’ve added in teletherapy for speech therapy, occupational therapy, and parent training for ABA Therapy. We offer a confidential platform for video and audio so you can be assured a secure connection.
First things first- what is teletherapy? Teletherapy is therapy or parent training from the comfort and safety of your home. Our therapists will set up a time with you and your child for an on-line session. Your therapist will make it fun and engaging with lots of interactive time. Not all children will need their parent’s assistance during therapy, but we greatly appreciate having a parent present the first few sessions as we get the hang of things! It is also a great opportunity to learn how to implement some of the strategies and that will help your child generalize their skills and be more successful.
So, what does this look like and how can we help you prepare for teletherapy? Take a look at some of these tips as you start preparing for teletherapy with your child.
Be Prepared- This is a new experience for everyone, so try to be prepared for your child’s session about 5-10 minutes early. Test out the personalized link we’ve emailed you and make sure you have a good Wi-Fi connection. Be sure to check that your video and microphone are working as well. We understand this might be a challenge the first few times to get used to, but we know that this will become easier as the sessions continue.
Find a Good Spot- If your child has a desk or area that they typically use for schoolwork, we recommend setting that up for their teletherapy sessions as well. Make sure your child is in a chair low enough to the ground where they can keep their feet planted on the ground; if they are able to kick/swing their legs around they can become less focused!
Get Toys/Activities Ready- Before your sessions, your therapist will reach out to you with some general things that you will need to know and have ready. If they send you print-outs, be sure to have those printed out before the session and ready for your child. Some other things we recommend are crayons, Play-Doh, or a small dry erase board. It’s always good to have a few of your child’s favorite toys on hand just in case they are needed.
Have a Visual Schedule- Visual schedules are always a good idea so that you can help your child transition smoothly! Many kids are doing virtual schooling right now as well, so we recommend implementing these in your daily routine. Let them know what activities and schoolwork they will be working on and help them to prepare to switch from school time to therapy time. If your therapist has given you a heads up of what to expect in the therapy session you can go ahead and add that to your visual schedule as well!
Remove Distractions- As you probably already know, homes are full of distractions! Help your child find a quiet space where they can have their therapy sessions. Make sure televisions are off and there aren’t pets or other siblings that are getting in the way and causing disruptions.
We hope that these tips will help you as you are preparing for teletherapy with PediaPlex! We so appreciate our PediaPlex families for their support and flexibility during this challenging time. We are eager to see all of your smiling faces back in clinic soon but are happy to see you virtually for now!
Please give us a call today if you’re interested in starting teletherapy at PediaPlex!
-The PediaPlex Family
