Seattle Therapy Network: 

Teletherapy Services FAQ

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Seattle Therapy Network offers a variety of therapy delivery models, including in-clinic, school-based, community-based, and teletherapy services. While trialing a new model may seem daunting, our experienced team is highly trained to provide skilled interventions through teletherapy.

 

What is Teletherapy?

 

Teletherapy at Seattle Therapy Network involves Speech Therapy (SLP) or Occupational Therapy (OT) via a HIPAA-compliant Zoom platform. Our therapists coach parents and children through activities within their natural home environment, utilizing the tools and materials you already have to work towards accomplishing your goals.

 

What skills can be addressed via Teletherapy? 

 

Teletherapy offers a unique opportunity to address a wide range of Speech and Occupational Therapy skills. Our therapists often find Teletherapy extremely beneficial, as it allows them to observe children performing skills in their natural environment.

 

By seeing the actual setting and materials your child uses at home, our providers can make more accurate and tailored recommendations to help achieve specific goals. Here are just a few goal areas that our therapists can address via teletherapy:

 

     Speech:

• Articulation

• Feeding

• Social Skills / Pragmatics 

• Social Interactions 

• Voice

• Fluency

• Language

• Executive Functioning

 

     OT:

• Activities of Daily Living (getting dressed, bathing, toileting, mealtime participation)

• Social Skills

• Gross motor skills

• Fine motor skills

• Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (Meal preparation, chores, money management, community mobility, etc)

• Sensory processing 

• Emotional Regulation

• Bilateral Coordination

• Executive Functioning

 

Why choose teletherapy?

 

Teletherapy allows therapists to tailor interventions directly within a child’s natural home environment. This provides a unique opportunity to observe children engaging in daily routines, such as eating or brushing their teeth in their own bathroom.

 

Additionally, while in-person services often have long waitlists, teletherapy frequently offers more immediate availability. This allows families to begin receiving essential services right at home without delay.

 

What aged children can do teletherapy?

 

Any age! We provide teletherapy services for individuals of all ages. We have seen successful outcomes with clients ranging from young children through adulthood.

 

My child will not sit still to do a Zoom call with family or friends, so how could teletherapy work for them?

 

There is no expectation for children to remain seated in front of a laptop or phone during teletherapy sessions. We understand that children naturally move around and may not be on camera at all times.

 

To assist with this, your therapist will help you position your device to capture a wider view of the workspace. Propping your phone, iPad, or laptop on a TV stand, bookcase, shelf, or mantel often works well, especially for active movement games.

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Do children make progress over teletherapy?

 

Absolutely! We see the same progress over teletherapy as we do in the clinic when families are active collaborators in the process. Teletherapy provides a unique opportunity for therapists to make real-time recommendations based on the home environment, which simplifies the carry-over of therapeutic tools throughout the week. We have found that this model empowers parents to feel more confident in implementing home programming, as they can practice skills with their children while receiving real-time coaching from the therapist.

 

What do I need to do for teletherapy? I don’t have special equipment at home like in the clinic.

 

No special equipment is required for teletherapy. Our therapists are creative and can help you adapt what you already have at home to meet your goals. We can often use your existing furniture and toys to create obstacle courses, games, and novel challenges to keep your child engaged.

 

For example, if your child needs vestibular input during occupational therapy, your OT might suggest games like pulling your child on a blanket across a hardwood floor or creating a "blanket swing" where parents hold the sides of a blanket to rock the child back and forth.

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Is teletherapy covered by insurance?

Most insurance companies cover teletherapy. Seattle Therapy Network will run a Good Faith Estimate when you are scheduled to see if any exclusions apply for teletherapy with your insurance plan. 

 

How do I get started?

If you are new to our clinic, please complete our “New Client Intake Form” on our website. If you are a current client, please give our office a call at 206-763-0352 or email us at info@seattle-therapy-network.com.