Then life threw a curveball, and I resigned from the schools.  I ended up taking a position with a teletherapy company and providing services to various schools.  I was hesitant at first, but after working as a teletherapist for six months, I can say I completely LOVE it!

Comfort

Need I say it? Yoga pants!!!  Business on top, (slumber) party on bottom, am I right?!!  I had a 40 minute, each way, commute before, now I walk down the hall to my office.  I can run to the bathroom or to get a coffee refill or a snack whenever I need.  And have I mentioned no boogers on my stuff?!  I haven’t had a sick day from any child-borne illnesses so far!

Variety

Not all teletherapists have the variety I do, but I have students ranging from mild middle school students to non-verbal kindergarteners.  I enjoy the different caseloads, although it does mean a bit more prep as there is more diversity in goals and materials.  In the morning I get to talk about animal sounds, and in the afternoon I get to teach /r/, and the next day I’m teaching a great short story to work on language skills.

Use of Time

When I worked in the schools, a good part of my time was spent doing duty, attending teacher meetings, filling out paperwork required by the district, completing screenings I was unable to take any action on, performing before or after school requirements such as parent-teacher meetings whether or not I actually had any parents wishing to meet.  Since I was on a contract, I was paid by year, and these times were all under a blanket “duties of the position” statement.

As a teletherapist, I am paid for indirect time as well as direct time.  This differs somewhat from one teletherapy company from another, but from my, admittedly limited, experience, this is typical.  I only attend meetings that directly affect my students.  I feel like I am able to return back to my actual occupation!

Freedom of Scheduling

Along the same lines, I get to draw the lines of my schedule.  I don’t want to work past three?  Then I say I’m not willing to.  I only want to work 30 hours a week?  Then that’s what we shoot for.  I’ve also found that the schools that I work with are more willing to work with me as far as scheduling than I experienced when I worked in a district.  Perhaps I’m just in a sweet spot?  Time will tell.  But I’m loving it right now!

Less Drama

All those powerplays that you couldn’t keep out of in the schools are far less apparent as a teletherapist.  Because we aren’t physically there, we don’t hear the conversations in the halls or the teacher’s lounge. It’s much the same as being at a school part time, where you see your handful of kids and leave.  This, for me, was a fantastic load off my shoulders, because that kind of conflict stresses me out – and there was always someone who was running to me complaining about something.  Now, this can be a drawback as well, especially if you thrive on those connections.  But you can also make connections with your team of teletherapists.

Efficacy of Therapy

Now, do I think I can do therapy as well through a computer as I can in-person?  Yes!  Now, that being said, there are, of course, some caveats.  The method of therapy should be considered for each client just as the time, length and frequency of therapy should be considered.  Often, as my younger students have, a facilitator may be present to aid the client in attention and accessing the technology. 

Other clients may need a different service model that is more of a parent training model.  A setup that includes a separate camera that shows the student’s AAC device so you can see their key presses, or other modifications might be necessary.  With flexibility and creativity, there really is a lot more you can do in teletherapy than you ever thought!

Drawbacks

Ok, yes, I miss the goodies in the teachers’ lounge.  And I REALLY miss the hugs and actually seeing my kiddos.  Sometimes, it is challenging when I have a student that just can’t get a specific speech sound…but I’m not sure being in person would help that either.  Tech issues can be frustrating, when the microphone isn’t catching a nuance of sound or the connection isn’t good.  But there were also times when the hallway outside my room, or the room beside my room, or the restroom beside my room, were so loud that I had trouble then too.  So I might be comparing apples and oranges there.

I’m not necessarily writing this to convert any of ya’ll from in-person therapists to teletherapists, but definitely, should it come to you, don’t be afraid of it.  It could be your next great thing!

If you want to know more about teletherapy, or the company I contract with (starting on my third year with them), feel free to reach out!

If you are interested in the topic of teletherapy, you might also be interested in my comprehensive guide, “So You Want to Be a Teletherapist.” It covers all these topics and more, including setting up your workspace, navigating legal documents like BAAs, and building a secure and efficient digital practice from the ground up!

Until next time, keep on clicking, my e-speechies!

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The post Why I Love Being a Teletherapist: From Skeptic to Superfan appeared first on Mrs. Speech Online.

Supercharge Therapy Planning:

• Personalized Materials: Struggling to find the perfect stimuli for a particular client? AI can generate engaging stories, activities, and exercises tailored to their specific needs and target sounds.
• Brainstorming Buddy: Facing a complex case? Use AI to brainstorm creative therapy approaches and explore different treatment options. Here, your expertise is crucial in selecting the most appropriate options based on your client’s individual needs and learning style.

Boost Client Engagement:

• Interactive Activities: AI can create interactive games and exercises that make therapy sessions more fun and motivating for clients, especially younger children. However, use your expert insight to ensure the difficulty level and format of the activity are appropriate for your client’s abilities.
• Real-Time Feedback: Imagine having an AI assistant that provides real-time feedback on a client’s pronunciation, intonation, or fluency! This can offer valuable insights and promote self-monitoring skills. Remember to analyze the AI’s feedback alongside your own observations to provide the most comprehensive guidance to your client.

Revolutionize Documentation:

• Automated Note Taking: Free yourself from tedious paperwork! AI tools can transcribe therapy sessions and generate draft session notes based on the audio recording. You can then review and edit them for accuracy, incorporating your clinical observations and insights.
• Speech and Language Sampling: Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) tools can transcribe the recordings with high accuracy, saving SLPs valuable time. Additionally, AI can analyze the transcribed speech samples for various aspects. It can identify features like articulation errors, fluency patterns, and vocabulary usage. This should complement your human expertise, which remains crucial in interpreting the data.

Ethical Considerations:

• Focus on Collaboration: Remember, AI is a tool to enhance your practice, not replace your specialized skills. Use AI-generated materials as a starting point, then personalize them to fit your client’s specific needs.
• Data Privacy: Ensure any AI tools you use comply with data privacy regulations and handle client information securely. I’d recommend leaving out names or any identifying information.

Prompting Your AI Assistant Strategically:

To get the most out of AI tools, it’s important to provide clear and concise prompts that incorporate your expertise:

• Client Profile: Briefly describe your client’s age, communication goals, specific challenges they are facing, and their learning style. This information helps the AI tailor its output to your client’s needs.
• Target Area: Specify the area you’d like AI to assist with, such as creating articulation exercises (mentioning the specific sounds you’re targeting), developing social communication activities (specifying the desired social skill), or crafting reading comprehension worksheets (indicating the reading level and comprehension skill you want to focus on).
• Desired Style: Indicate any preferences you have for the AI’s output. Do you want the activity to be interactive, story-based, or game-like? Consider your client’s interests and learning style when making this choice.

Remember: You are the expert. 

Use your professional knowledge to evaluate and adapt any AI-generated materials to ensure they are appropriate for your client’s specific needs and goals.  The AI is a tool to empower you, not replace you.

Ready to Get Started?

Explore the world of AI resources available for SLPs! Many AI writing and speech recognition tools are readily available. Start by identifying specific areas in your practice where AI could be most beneficial.

By embracing AI as a collaborative partner, While keeping your professional knowledge at the forefront, you can streamline your workflow, personalize your therapy approach, and ultimately empower your clients to achieve their communication goals.

Envision this:

Sarah, a young client, struggles with sharing toys during playtime. You, the SLP, identify the need to create a social story to help Sarah understand the concept of sharing and taking turns.

Here’s where AI becomes your partner:

Prompting the AI: 

The SLP prompts the AI with the following information:

• Target Social Skill: Sharing toys
• Character: A young girl named Sarah
• Desired Tone: Positive and encouraging

AI Generates Story:

Sarah loves playing with her toys! She has a cuddly teddy bear, a bright red car, and a set of colorful blocks. One sunny afternoon, Sarah is playing in the park when she sees another child, Ben, sitting alone. Ben looks a little shy.

Sarah walks over to Ben with a big smile. "Hi Ben! What are you playing with?" she asks.

Ben mumbles something about having a toy truck but not wanting to play alone.

Sarah has an idea! "Would you like to play with my blocks?" she asks.

Ben's eyes widen. "Really? Can I?"

"Sure!" says Sarah. "We can build a big tower together! Do you want to put the red block on top?"

Ben smiles and carefully places the red block on top of the growing tower. They take turns adding blocks, giggling as the tower gets taller and taller.

Suddenly, another child, Emily, walks over and looks at their tower. "Wow! That's amazing!" she exclaims.

"Would you like to help us build even higher?" Sarah asks Emily.

Emily joins in the fun, carefully adding more blocks to the tower. They all work together, taking turns and laughing as they build a magnificent tower of blocks.

SLP’s Integration:

After reviewing the story to insure it is appropriate to the child, the SLP reads the story with Sarah, pointing out the pictures (ideally featuring a character resembling Sarah and toys she recognizes) and discussing the emotions of the characters. They talk about how Sarah shared her toys with Ben and Emily, and how everyone had more fun playing together.

Personalizing the Story: 

The SLP notices Sarah particularly loves animals and edits the story to mention her favorite stuffed animal, Mr. Snuggles, instead of a teddy bear. They can further personalize the story by adding details about the park (mentioning any specific equipment Sarah enjoys) or the type of tower they build (e.g., an animal tower if Sarah is interested in animals). Please be aware: personalization like this could constitute Personal Health Information under HIPAA. Do not share PHI in ANY AI platform without checking that it is HIPAA compliant! See more in AI & SLPs Series, Part 1: Clinical Data Privacy.

The SLP can also create follow-up activities based on the story, such as role-playing sharing scenarios or drawing pictures about taking turns using their favorite toys.

Benefits of AI in Social Story Creation:

• Overcomes Writer’s Block: AI can provide a starting point or inspiration for the SLP.
• Saves Time: AI can generate a basic story outline, allowing the SLP to focus on customization.
• Engaging Language: AI can create stories with a child-friendly tone and vocabulary.

This is just one example of how AI can be used as a tool to enhance the work of SLPs. Remember, the SLP’s professional knowledge and experience remain crucial in tailoring the story to the specific needs of each client.

Keep on clickin’!

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The post Unleash the Power of AI in Your Speech Therapy Practice appeared first on Mrs. Speech Online.