How to Do Online Speech Therapy In Your Homeschool

Hey, just so you know … This post includes affiliate links. That means if you use them to make a purchase, I may earn a commission. You can read my full affiliate disclosure HERE.

Welcome to the #TechieHomeschool IRL blog series!  In this post, my guest Amanda shares how to implement online speech therapy in your homeschool and tips on having a successful journey.

Spoiler: Yep! You can teach your child to talk using online speech therapy at home and there are lots of options on how to connect with a homeschool friendly speech language pathologist, find quality online speech therapy resources, and practice speech therapy at home.

How can homeschooler’s do speech therapy at home using technology?

Homeschooler’s can do speech therapy at home online through their school district, through a state program, through a clinic, or through a private speech language pathologist.

You can try online speech therapy sessions or online speech therapy classes. Some speech language pathologists offer online courses that teach speech therapy techniques to parents.

Does online speech therapy at home really work?

Yep it can!

Lots of families had ROUGH experiences with online speech therapy during shutdowns. It was frequently hard for parents and families, especially of toddlers or higher energy children that were distracted or disinterested in sitting in front of a screen.

BUT, there is research to suggest that teletherapy is as good as in person therapy, depending on the child’s needs and the way the “team” (family and speech language pathologist or “SLP”) works it.

Parent implemented speech therapy, where the SLP provides training to the parent and then the parent does the therapy has some neat research behind it and can provide similar or better results than an SLP working with a child without the parent.

As homeschoolers, we know how awesome a parent can be. It should be no surprise that parents are the “secret sauce” of their child’s success in speech therapy too!

So the question “Does online speech therapy at home really work?” might have an answer that surprises you… yes! And maybe even more so, if it's with a speech language pathologist that puts the parents to work throughout the session.

My toddler won’t sit for online speech therapy…what do I do?

Talk to your speech language pathologist about training you to work with your child as the main priority of the therapy. Remember how earlier, we were talking about how you are the secret sauce? Well, you ARE, so let’s get you some speech therapy tools!

A good speech language pathologist can guide you through your daily routine or a special activity with the help of a camera and microphone. I’ve watched toddlers with significant communication anxiety grow words and then sentences, while watching from the camera (hidden) and talking to their moms through their ear buds as she runs through the house!

The question I ask moms is whether THEY can sit for a “zoom call.” Most moms do a great job and become their child’s personal speech clinician when they are respected and included in online speech therapy.

How do I know if online speech therapy at home is right for my family?

Here are some questions that can help you know if online speech therapy at home is right for your family:

• Would it be more convenient to have online speech therapy?
• Would you have better attendance if you don’t drive to speech therapy or sit in a waiting room?
• Do you have the technology to participate in an online speech therapy session?
• Do you learn well in an online environment?
• Do you want to heavily participate in your child’s therapy session?
• Do you want your child to do speech therapy without you?

No judgement whatever the answers, because each family needs something different. Some families need the “shift” of a drive to the appointment. Some children do better playing in a room without mom, but with their therapist (though if that is your situation, get training for home too!). 

Some clinics or schools will let parents in and that might be a good fit too. But, if you go online for your speech therapy, know that you have options and you can still search around till you find a good fit!

How do I find a homeschool friendly online speech therapist?

I have a directory! At this point I have the contact information of a homeschool friendly or homeschool experienced SLP in each state. Some of us were homeschooled or are homeschooling, and even more hope to homeschool when they have children.

I share the contact information via email, so I can help folks find what they are looking for. Looking for someone that homeschools? Ok! What about online? Oh yeah! Holistic and natural medicine friendly? Yup, I got records on that too.

If you are a homeschool friendly SLP, contact me and fill out the survey to be listed in my directory.

Is online speech therapy at home more cost effective?

It most certainly can be!

Whether you are looking for insurance reimbursement or private pay (which can be more cost effective than you think!), online options can be more cost effective because you might be way more involved and better at doing “homework,” you don’t have travel costs, and  you might be less likely to get caught with a cancellation fee because you can still do speech therapy online when you have the sniffles! 

Sometimes SLPs will charge a little less because their online business model has less overhead, passing the savings on to you, even though online speech therapy has the same level of quality for most children!

What questions should I ask to find great online speech therapy near me?

If I was looking for a great fit for online speech therapy near me, I’d be searching my whole state for starters. Google will often only show you local options, but SLPs are licensed by state.

You may find an SLP offers a slightly lower rate or specialty that you want that is located elsewhere in your state. I work with families all over Indiana in a day (some are even in different time zones!) because they like my vibe or wanted someone that uses the complexity method to fix sound errors faster. Ask them if they do a free online consultation or a free or low-cost screening so you can get a feel for them and try out online speech therapy.

Try a couple, unless you fall in love, and compare the fit for your family. Ask them if they get you involved in the speech therapy or if your job is just to keep your child sitting still in front of the camera (Alert! Alert! Not recommended unless that’s really what you want or you have an independent teenager).

Ok, how do I get started with online speech therapy at home?

Well, for starters you could:

1.       Check out the “Homeschool Parent’s Guide to Speech Therapy” a free ebook to guide you through the process of picking your best fit (we talk about public programs, DIY, private therapy and more!)

2.       Get some online support at my free online parent support group here.

3.       Contact me if you want help finding a homeschool friendly or experienced speech therapy provider.

If you enjoyed reading this blog SO MUCH you want to see if I would be a good fit for your family’s speech therapy needs (I like you too!) you can check me out at www.illuminatecommunicate.com. I’m currently licensed in Indiana, am in process in Florida, and generally adding states where I’m needed!

Techie Homeschool in Real Life Series

This post is part of the Techie Homeschool in Real Life blog series. If you are looking to increase your homeschool tech knowledge, you won't want to miss any of the guest posts! Learn more about the series and read all of the other posts included here.

Techie Homeschool in Real Life Sponsors

This series would not be possible without the support of it's sponsors. I am encouraging you to visit each of them listed below to learn more about their company, product, or curriculum, and how they can enhance your techie homeschool journey!

Enter the Series Giveaway!

Thanks to our sponsors, we have some amazing prizes to give away during this series both here, as well as in the Facebook group and newsletter. You won't want to miss any of it!

Here, you can enter to win one of TWO $200 Giftogram Gift Cards. The winners will have over 200 brands to choose from when selecting their gift card.

Use the KingSumo form below to claim as many entries as you can to get in on this amazing giveaway. Each blogger represented on the entry form has contributed to make this series happen, so definitely take the time to do all of the entries (someone’s gotta win this thing – could be you!).

Giveaway ends February 28, 2023 at 11:59pm CT.  Must be at least 18 years of age.  Must be a resident of U.S. to enter.  Selected winner will have 48 hours to respond to email notification to claim their prize, or another winner will be drawn.

Want some techie homeschooling tips and inspiration delivered to your inbox? Sign up here for weekly-ish emails from me.

Techie Homeschool Mom is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. You can read my full affiliate disclosure HERE.