Telehealth: The Next-Generation of Therapy

As classrooms across the country continue to find new and interesting ways to utilize the power of technology, it is important to be open to the possibility of change and advancement. Options that once felt impossible are now changing kids’ daily life.
Imagine students who need speech therapy support, occupational therapy, or counseling services. Now imagine a family, living in a district with limited services or an online student who thrives in the digital environment. What if technology provided them with consistent access, flexible scheduling, and the highest qualified speech and occupational therapists and school counselors? What if an online approach could not only support students but also monitor and track growth measures that can easily be shared with parents and teachers? For many, the telehealth experience is already doing these things.
As Clay Whitehead, CEO of PresenceLearning (@PresenceLearn) describes below, telehealth is an essential component of creating a personalized, individualized experience for kids.
“Special education is squarely focused on the individual. Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for students with special needs define the personalized goals and objectives of the student and how the student learns. PresenceLearning makes it possible to match students with the right therapists for their situation, for therapists to develop unique experiences for their students, and for the IEP team to make the right decisions based on progress data. With teletherapy, we’ve proven that this is scalable, effective, and efficient. From this perspective, we see special education as leading the way of next generation learning toward a future of personalized learning for all students, not just those on IEPs.”
Wondering what it all looks like? The videos below highlight just how access is increasing availability and providing alternative routes to success for our special needs students.
 
DeSoto County Schools, Arcadia, FL
See how a speech language pathologist uses technology to devise therapy sessions that are unique to each student’s goals and curriculum, and how students themselves respond to the individual attention they receive.

 
Online Occupational Therapy in Action
Watch as seven year old Nina builds motor planning, sequencing, and sensory processing skills through dancing.

 
Online Counseling Services
Interested in what a group online counseling session could look like online? Check out this simulated session where two students from different locations meet with their online counselor to work on social skills and explore ways to deal with anger.
 

Thanks to telehealth providers, such as PresenceLearning, we are seeing a different kind of success story for our students with special needs. A story that emphasizes student growth and outcomes while helping students take pride in their abilities and their potential. Crazy to think how far online therapy has come. Can’t help but wonder, what type of service will be next?
 
For more inspirational stories on how online therapy is working for schools across the country, check these out.
Synergy Academies – Los Angeles, CA

Murray County Schools – Chatsworth, GA

Bonneville Joint School District 93, Idaho Falls, ID

Fowler Unified School District, Fowler, CA

For more on online therapy from PresenceLearning, download their most recent infographic: Face to Face with Online Therapy.
PresenceLearning is a Getting Smart Advocacy Partner.