Communication Therapy Makes Radical Leap Online
Portland, Oregon (PRWEB) September 19, 2017 -- Speech-language therapy can help adults and children improve communications at all levels. From a 5-year-old child with autism to a client impacted by a stroke, therapy success comes from including all primary environments and key players in a client’s world.
The standard model in the industry of speech-language therapy is one-on-one (client-and-clinician) in a school, hospital, or clinic setting or within online videoconferencing. The participants are the client and the therapist. However, this model is limited and its success is dependent on the client remembering to practice outside of the therapy session. Lack of practice can significantly slow the progress of therapy and frustrate everyone involved.
The Hello Foundation in Portland, OR, has invested in a custom-built portal, Hello There, to facilitate online therapy sessions driven by the needs of people with communication disorders and their support networks. Hello There allows the client and others in their support network to manage their care in several unique ways:
- clients are in charge of who is invited to join their family account, meaning that physicians, health care professionals, teachers, grandparents, and others can be active participants in the therapeutic process.
- therapy sessions are recorded and available to the client and others with account access for later review.
- documents, school work, and video/audio samples can be uploaded and shared between those in the family account and the clinician.
- treatment plans and progress notes are plainly written and available for all to access at any time.
- secure, direct messaging allows clients to have access to their clinician whenever the need arises.
- a simple dashboard gives users information about appointments, notes, progress, and tech support immediately upon login
The Hello Foundation has flipped the script. The Hello There platform allows the client to be at the center of the session. Caregivers from any discipline, as well as family members and anyone else in the client's circle, can gain secure, HIPAA-compliant access to the process of communication therapy. After a short and free phone consultation to determine suitability for Hello There, the family receives their account login and their clinician name/bio. Once therapy is underway, the client or their caregiver can add team members (a teacher, a grandparent, a physician, a nanny, etc.) who will also be able to access and attend sessions, view homework, see photos, watch previous sessions, or view notes from the clinician. The goal is for communication therapy targets to be consistently reinforced by a client’s circle of influence throughout the day. Soliday is confident, “it’s the best possible scenario for kids to be making progress.” To learn more about all features available visit http://www.thehellofoundation.com
__________________________________
The prevalence of speech sound disorders in young children is 8 to 9 percent. By the first grade, roughly 5 percent of children continue to have noticeable speech disorders. (National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, http://www.nidcd.nih.gov) https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/about/strategic-plan/2017-2021-nidcd-strategic-plan#sp22a
It is estimated that more than 3 million Americans stutter. (NIDCD, http://www.nidcd.nih.gov) https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/about/congressional-justification-2013#App
Between 6 and 8 million people in the United States have some form of language impairment. (NIDCD, http://www.nidcd.nih.gov) https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/about/congressional-justification-2013#App
It is estimated that approximately 80,000 individuals acquire aphasia each year. About 1 million persons in the United States currently have aphasia. (NIDCD, http://www.nidcd.nih.gov)
https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/about/strategic-plan/health-disparities/2009-2013
###
For further information or to set up an interview contact Sharon Soliday 503) 267-7081
http://www.thehellofoundation.com Find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Sharon Soliday, The Hello Foundation, http://www.thehellofoundation.com, +1 (503) 267-7081, [email protected]
Share this article