What is teletherapy?  Teletherapy is the provision of therapy based healthcare services remotely through telecommunication technology.  Therapy practitioners have utilized electronic communication to provide therapy services in recent years. They may refer to such service provisions as teletherapy, telerehab, or telemedicine.  

Therapy services available through telecommunication include speech therapy, occupational therapy, and physical therapy services.

Who can benefit from teletherapy services?  Many clients in rural or underserved communities can have greater access to therapy services.  Services can be provided in a safe comfortable environment for the client. Some children respond better to technology and can have greater progress toward goals. Online therapy services can also help decrease missed appointments and improve consistent attendance.  Therapists and clients can avoid weather issues and missed appointments due to illness. Teletherapy has been proven to be as effective and sometimes more effective than traditional face to face therapy service provision.

How does teletherapy work?  The therapist and the client participate in a 2 way teleconference through webcam technology.  It resembles a video chat much like skype or facetime. The therapist and the client each have their own digital technology, either a tablet, computer, or smart-phone that  they use to interact in order to share audio, video, data, and images. Therapy is conducted face to face in real time with the use of webcam and audio technology.