Speech therapy has proved to be effective for stroke survivors to regain their communication skills. Unfortunately, not everyone can spend several hours traveling to an outpatient facility to attend a speech therapy session.
In this episode of Strokecast podcast, we discuss how remote speech therapy works, how it helps, and when remote therapy doesn’t make sense. Listen to the podcast using the player below:
Episode highlights
There are three common speech challenges after a stroke:
Aphasia - the trouble finding words;
Apraxia - a challenge of getting the words in the right order;
Dysarthria - having trouble with the mechanics of speech, e.g. tongue, larynx, jaw, and lip movements.
Many different elements have to come together and have to work properly for us to be able to speak: figuring out what words we want to say, then figuring out how to put them in the right order for our language and grammar and to physically move all the different parts of our mouth - and any one of those can fail in a stroke.
Having trouble with speech after a stroke?
What are the benefits of remote speech therapy after a stroke?
With online speech therapy, there’s no more waiting. For somebody who had a stroke and is now back in their home environment, going for therapy can be fatiguing: the entire process of going, being in the waiting room, and having to wait for your therapist and then transition back into the car back home.
With online speech therapy, family members can be involved in speech therapy. In clinics, you might not have the ability to have family members come into the clinic, or they might not be able to go into the therapy room with you. When you’re remote, family members can listen, can participate in that therapy session, and they’re all getting the information to help the individual that is seeking the therapy treatment.
But like with anything, there are times when it’s completely appropriate to have an in-person therapist. Some things to take into consideration include the level of safety and level of care that a person needs, or a person's ability to engage with technology.
At Better Speech, we offer online speech therapy services convenient for you and tailored to your child's individual needs. Our services are affordable and effective - get Better Speech now.
About the Author
Lenora Edwards
I am ASHA Board Certified Speech Language Pathologist and Chief Knowledge Officer with Better Speech. Since obtaining my CCC’s in 2010, I have worked with individuals of all ages from little ones who are learning to understand and express themselves to adults who want to improve their speaking skills and become a more fluent and effective communicator. I love to teach and educate others, in my spare time I like reading, cooking and traveling!
