Lindsay Reid, MS CCC-SLP
It’s a pleasure to introduce our July Teletherapist Spotlight, Lindsay Reid.
1. What strategies do you use to keep your students motivated and engaged during their sessions, especially on days when they might feel distracted or unmotivated?
I have had the best luck with using interactive games throughout the entire session. The students seem to be most motivated by the games, and know that they have to complete their targets (i.e., speech sounds, language goal, etc) before they can have a turn. I have also had success with videos when targeting language goals.
2. Can you share some of the most rewarding experiences you’ve had while working with students in rural areas through teletherapy?
There are two students in particular that stand out to me right now. Both of these students were in a rural district where it had been difficult to keep an in-person SLP. Both of these students were fairly unintelligible, and after working with them consistently for a school year, they both made great progress! In both of their IEP meetings, their parents reported that their student was so much more intelligible and was demonstrating increased confidence because of the progress.
3. What role do parents and caregivers play in the success of teletherapy, and how do you involve them in the therapeutic process?
At the beginning of each school year, I send home a note with each of my students to introduce myself and let their parents know that I will be working with their child via Zoom. I provide my email/phone number if they want to contact me with any questions. In the note, I explain that I will frequently send home “homework” in order for the student to practice their skills outside of therapy, and emphasize how important it is to work on these skills with their child.
4. How do you stay updated with the latest research and developments in speech-language pathology to ensure your sessions are effective?
Thankfully, our field has many options for continuing education. There are many continuing education courses that provide updated research that I am able to use in my sessions. Additionally, the UT team is great about sharing information with each other, including any updated research.
5. What are some common myths about teletherapy, and how do you address them with new clients or their families?
I think a lot of people think that teletherapy is not as effective as being in person. If I ever have a family/teacher bring up concerns about the effectiveness of teletherapy, I refer to the progress I’ve seen in many of my students, as well as the positive relationships I’ve built with them.
6. How do you manage your workload and ensure you have a healthy work-life balance?
When I’m creating a schedule at the beginning of the school year, I make sure to block out plenty of time for meetings and paperwork. There are a lot of meetings throughout the school year, and those meetings come with paperwork. Having the time in my work day to complete paperwork and attend meetings has really helped me manage my workload. Additionally, I like having a calendar on my desk where I can easily see what meetings are coming up and create a daily to-do list. These things, in addition to only working during contracted hours, have helped me keep a healthy work-life balance.
7. What advice would you give to new SLP who is just starting their career in teletherapy?
I think it’s important to understand that switching to teletherapy comes with a learning curve! My first year in teletherapy was stressful because I was not only switching from working with adults to children, but also working through a computer instead of in person. I’m so glad I pushed through because I now love being a teletherapist.
8. How do you integrate technology into your sessions to enhance the learning experience for your students?
I integrate technology into almost every session. Through Zoom, I am able to share my screen with the students so we are able to see the game/video/activity together. I also am able to give the students control of the screen, so they can use a mouse to click on the screen as needed. They typically enjoy being able to use the mouse during the session and it can be a good incentive for participation!
9. What are some of the challenges you’ve encountered while providing teletherapy in rural schools, and how have you overcome them?
Internet slowness or outages were more frequent last school year—whether it was because of weather (wind, usually) or an issue with the server at the school. If the internet was slow, I would switch up the activity so we would do something that didn’t require me sharing my screen. If the internet was completely out, I just tried to make up those sessions so the students were not missing out on therapy time.
10. What are your goals for the future of teletherapy, and how do you envision the field evolving in the next few years?
I hope to help districts, students, and parents see the benefit of teletherapy and how it can be as effective as in person therapy. As we’ve seen over the last few years, I think teletherapy is going to continue to grow and become more common in all settings (not just schools).
Lindsay is one of many of our Teletherapists at Unlimited Teletherapy that is passionate, nurturing, and committed to supporting students to meet their individual goals. We are honored to have her on our team!
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