September Teletherapist Spotlight Kendra Fark, MS CCC-SLP

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

Kendra Fark, MS CCC-SLP

 

It’s a pleasure to introduce our September Teletherapist Spotlight, Kendra Fark.

 

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?

When students are feeling distracted, some helpful strategies are using headphones connected to the computer, minimizing distractions in their space, starting off with a quick check in to see how their day or week is going, making sure their sensory needs are met, and reviewing the goals we are working on that day with a simple visual aid or visual schedule. When students feel unmotivated, some helpful strategies are tying their goals to real-life tasks or situations that are important to them, providing support so they experience success then removing support slowly to show them they can do it, and specific positive reinforcement: “I like how you used your loud voice! That helped me understand what you said, and I want to hear what you say. What you say is important.”

2. Can you share some of the most rewarding experiences you’ve had while working with students in rural areas through teletherapy?

Learning about the rich cultures of my students and their communities and hearing them use their speech and language skills to discuss what is important to them has been very rewarding.

3. What role do parents and caregivers play in the success of teletherapy, and how do you involve them in the therapeutic process?

Parents and caregivers provide valuable information that allows us to make therapy more meaningful to students. This helps students feel supported and make progress faster. It is also wonderful when parents are involved in the carryover of skills outside of school. I like to send home communication boards and picture symbols we are using in therapy so that students have even more opportunities to see and practice what they are learning in therapy sessions.

4. How do you stay updated with the latest research and developments in speech-language pathology to ensure your sessions are effective?

Unlimited Teletherapy (UT) provides access to the latest continuing education courses in speech language pathology, which is a fantastic resource. We also set annual professional goals for growth and learning, and we collaborate regularly with the other UT SLPs.

5. What advice would you give to a new SLP who is just starting their career in teletherapy?

I would recommend looking for a company that is focused on providing quality services for students and providing support to its therapists. There is a lot to learn, but having an experienced, solution-oriented, and supportive company helps make it a positive experience.

6. How do you integrate technology into your sessions to enhance the learning experience for your students?

We integrate technology into our sessions every day when students log on to Zoom and I share my screen to work on their therapy goals using digital therapy materials. Additionally, I frequently use digital visual aids such as real photos, graphic organizers, and anchor charts to support students’ understanding and learning. I am also able to easily edit those aids in real time to tailor them to each student’s individual needs and save a copy just for them. Then I can send the PDF of the individualized visual aid to the student and the teacher for use outside of therapy in digital or paper form.

7. What are some of the challenges you’ve encountered while providing teletherapy in rural schools, and how have you overcome them?

While infrequent, internet outages do occur at times for some of the schools I serve. When this happens, we schedule makeup sessions to take place once the internet connection is re-established so that students still receive their services.

8. 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 see access to speech therapy continue to grow, and I see teletherapy playing an important part in that. I look forward to increasing our ability to connect with and support students, clients, or patients wherever they are as technology continues to improve and become more accessible.

Kendra 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!