This is Serena. She is a pediatric speech language pathologist working. She help children communicate effectively by assisting with their verbal and non-verbal language skills.
“Adapting to virtual care has been quite the change for both myself and my clients, especially my kiddos. I felt very nervous during my first couple teletherapy sessions.
Direct human interaction and face-to-face experiences are essential for many of my clients to feel comfortable enough to communicate.
I was worried that their quality of care may be at risk using a virtual platform. This is true especially for my clients where tactile cueing is important, or those on the autism spectrum who favour routine and now must adapt to a very different format of therapy.
Virtual care has also changed the role of families during sessions. Parents are no longer passive observers but our partners during our sessions. I can honestly say my relationship with some parents have changed for the better, as their direct support is now vital in facilitating a successful session.
Among the many fears that this pandemic brings, one is the feeling that life has been temporarily put on hold.
A lot of my pediatric clients are at critical ages that require interventions within a specific [time] window. Otherwise, there can be lasting consequences. Putting these resources on hold, even for a few months, is not an option. Keeping this in mind, my job has provided purpose for me during this pandemic. I am ensuring my clients continue making progress towards their speech and language goals, and am able to support families who feel that their child’s needs may be neglected as isolation measures continue.”

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