Our speech pathologists offer convenient, effective speech therapy online for busy families, children in rural or remote locations, and children who want to complete their sessions from their home environment.
Can’t make it into Active Eight for your child’s speech therapy session? No problem! Our speech pathologists offer telehealth appointments so your child can still receive their usual therapy from the comfort of home.
Through video conferencing, our speech pathologists can assess and treat speech and language disorders, including articulation, fluency, and expressive and receptive language skills. Whether your child is struggling with pronouncing certain words or having difficulty expressing their thoughts and feelings, we can provide targeted interventions to support their communication development online.
Contact us for more information about our online speech therapy services today!
We utilise telehealth for online therapy services, allowing us to connect with you remotely. Here's a step-by-step breakdown of how online speech pathology typically works.
Initial Consultation and Assessment: The process begins with an initial consultation and assessment. At this stage, our speech therapists will gather information about your child's speech and language skills, medical history, and previous evaluations or therapy.
The assessment may involve standardised tests, informal observations, and discussions with parents or caregivers.
Therapy Plan Development: Based on the assessment, we will develop a personalised therapy plan for your child. The plan outlines specific goals, targets, and strategies to address during each online speech therapy session. The plan is tailored to the child's individual needs and takes into consideration their age, developmental level, and specific speech or language disorders.
Therapy Sessions: Therapy sessions are conducted via video conferencing, allowing for real-time interactions between your child and their speech pathologist. The sessions follow a structured format with activities, exercises, and games to target specific speech and language goals.
Your speech pathologist will guide your child through the activities, providing feedback, modelling correct speech patterns, and sharing strategies to improve communication skills.
Progress Monitoring and Adjustments: Throughout the therapy process, your speech pathologist will monitor your child's progress and adjust the therapy plan as needed. Regular assessments and observations will help track your child's development and determine the effectiveness of the interventions.
Parent Involvement and Support: Parents play a crucial role in the success of online speech pathology. You’re encouraged to participate in therapy sessions, observe and take notes, and practice strategies with your child between sessions. We’ll provide guidance and support, offering resources, training, and feedback on your involvement.
Transition and Follow-Up: As your child progresses and achieves their speech and language goals, the therapy may transition to a maintenance phase. During this phase, therapy sessions may be reduced in frequency, and the focus shifts towards supporting the child in using their newly acquired skills in real-life situations. Follow-up assessments and monitoring ensure that progress is maintained and any emerging challenges are addressed.
Contact us for more information today.
Our speech pathologists are equipped with practical strategies and knowledge to help your child or teen reach their communication goals.
Where possible and appropriate, we provide recognised assessments including:
The Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals 5 (CELF-5)
Preschool Language Scales Fifth Edition (PLS-5)
The Comprehensive Assessment of Spoken Language 2 (CASL-2)
The Social Language Development Test - Elementary (SLDT-E) & Adolescent (SLDT-A)
Diagnostic Evaluation of Articulation and Processing (DEAP)
Comprehensive Test Of Phonological Processing (CTOPP-2)
Informal assessment.
Our speech pathologists have various skills, including:
Prompts for Restructuring Oral Muscular Phonetic Targets (PROMPT)
Hanen (More Than Words)
Secret Agent Society (SAS) – A social and emotional skills program designed for children
Key Word Sign
Sounds Write
Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC).
Articulation therapy (learning how to say sounds).
Phonology therapy (learning how to sequence sounds in words and conversations).
Therapy for children who are late talkers such as,
○ A 1 year old who is not using any words to communicate.
○ A 3 year old who is only using one to two words when communicating.
School readiness support for children aged 3-5 years old.
Written language skills, helping children and teens to learn how to read and spell.
Core language therapy (grammar and vocabulary) or high-level language support (such as figurative language).
AAC is used by people whose spoken communication is not able to meet their own communication needs.
AAC may include the use of voice, gestures, symbols, voice output devices, and pictures to communicate.
We offer a range of AAC solutions to meet the needs of each individual member.
Targeted social skills therapy for children and teens to help build conversation, friendship, and problem-solving skills.
Understanding emotions and being able to talk about other people’s perspectives.
Supporting each member to identify, understand, and respond to their social challenges in a range of settings relevant to them including home, work, school, community, and with their peer group.
Helping family members, teachers, teacher aides or friends to understand the best ways to communicate so that your child or teen forms more connections at home, school or in the community.
Individual therapy services in our Hub or outreach to home or educational settings.
Paired and group therapy services in our Hub and at our partner locations.
Online speech pathology has become increasingly popular for its convenience. For one, children can access speech therapy from home, their grandparent’s house, or school — wherever they feel safe and comfortable. It’s also ideal for families with packed schedules who can’t make it to the Active Eight office on a regular basis.
Plus, online speech therapy allows us to eliminate geographical barriers and offer our services to more children and their families in rural or remote areas!
Online speech therapy may not be suitable for every child or every speech disorder. Still, we have found it is effective for various conditions, including articulation disorders, language delays, and speech sound disorders. We can still complete assessments, observations and speech therapy sessions online, just as we would in traditional face-to-face sessions.
Contact us to discuss your child’s unique needs and determine if online speech therapy would be beneficial.
To make the most of your child’s speech therapy online, we recommend setting up a quiet, distraction-free environment. Minimise background noise, turn off electronic devices, ensure pets can’t get into the room, and ensure the space is well-lit — this will help your child focus and engage fully with their speech pathologist.
It’s also crucial to ensure your devices and internet connection are functioning properly. Test the video conferencing software, camera, and microphone to guarantee clear communication.
Parents can benefit from online speech pathology by saving time, cost, and travel-related hassles. You can conveniently access therapy sessions from anywhere and have access to professionals from home.
Yes, parents play an important role in their child's progress, and we encourage you to participate in your child’s sessions actively. We will provide guidance and strategies for practising with your child between sessions; this involvement helps reinforce the skills learned during therapy and promotes the generalisation of those skills to everyday situations.
Online speech pathology has been found to be just as effective as in-person therapy for many children. Research has shown that telepractice can lead to significant improvements in speech and language skills. However, it's important to note that the effectiveness may vary depending on the individual child and their specific needs.
Aside from online speech therapy for kids, we also offer occupational therapy and psychology via telehealth.
If you’re looking for professional speech therapy online for your child, look no further than Active Eight! To us, therapy is about building motivation, skills, confidence and community — contact us to book your initial consultation and find out if online speech therapy is right for your child or teen.
