Teletherapy Tips: 7 Strategies to Improve Teletherapy Sessions for SLPs, OT, PT, and ITDS Providers

This past year has required a lot of adaptation and improvisation by therapists switching from in-person to teletherapy models due to COVID-19. Video calls have become a regular way of conducting therapy sessions and have benefits such as increased access to care regardless of location or disability, reduced travel time, and provision of service in the natural environment (Wales, Skinner, and Hayman, 2017).

However, the teletherapy model can present some challenges, especially with clients requiring higher levels of support. Encouragingly, with proper planning, teletherapy sessions can also be successful for many of these clients. We’ve curated a list of strategies to improve teletherapy sessions for you and your clients.

  1. Plan ahead: Schedule time prior to a teletherapy session to go over technology needs and answer questions. Plan for how to connect, what devices will be used, and how to position devices so they can see you and vice versa. Plan for how the caregiver/client will access the session and what goal(s) you will work on first (Childress, 2020).
  2. Set up your space: Be sure your webcam is pointed at eye-level. You can invest in a computer shelf or stand, but we’ve found that our old college textbooks stack well for this purpose. Be sure to avoid sunlit windows at your back or visual distractions behind you. It’s best to have an overhead light slightly in front of you, or a lamp illuminating you. Try out a few configurations so that clients will be able to easily see you.
  3. Ask clients/caregivers to have a way to prop up their device (such as a phone stand or cookbook holder) so both their hands are free during the session.
  4. If you are coaching a caregiver, briefly restate the coaching model at the beginning of each session. For example, you can say “Remember, my goal is to help you help (client). I want (client) to focus on you, not me.” Let caregivers/clients know ahead of time if they need to have specific materials on hand to target specific objectives. It helps to prepare a short outline/materials list for each session to share with the caregiver or client a few days in advance (Cote, 2020).
  5. Have all your materials immediately available but out of the frame. You may want to have a small table or stand on each side of you, with a basket or container on each. Transfer items as you use them from one basket to another, so that only one is visible at a time. Have any media (photos, video clips, websites) you plan to share queued up in order on your browser.
  6. Create a session plan (and stick to it!): Consider the attention span of your client when planning activities. Remember to leave time for specific feedback. Talk about what went well, and what ‘homework’ the client can work on until the next session. Then open the next session by reviewing how the ‘homework’ went.
  7. Send clients a visual (handout or notes) of any activities they should be working on. Be sure to leave space for them to record successes and challenges. This helps kick off the conversation when you review the activities during the next session.

So, what do you think? Are you using these strategies in your sessions? Do you have any other tips and tricks that help you and your clients in teletherapy? We would love to hear from you.