Telehealth

Therapy wherever you are. 

Frequently asked questions.

What does telehealth look like?

Telehealth usually takes place via video call, using a laptop or tablet. We will send you a link prior to the session, along with any relevant information or instructions. As with all our services, therapy will be tailored to meet the needs of you and your whānau. Telehealth sessions may involve the following:

• Video call sessions with you and your child. These may be assessment or therapy sessions, and may capture mealtimes, support exploration of new foods and textures, or work on speech or language goals. Some preparation may be required for these sessions, such as preparing certain types of food, or having certain equipment at hand; we will let you know before the session if anything is required. We will work directly with you and your child and may model techniques for you to try in the session. We will additionally provide advice on techniques to use in the home in between sessions.

• Video call sessions with parents and/or caregivers. Depending on your needs, we may support you to implement therapy techniques at home. Your child does not need to be present for these sessions; we will instead provide coaching and support so you can implement therapy with your child at home. In each session we discuss progress, problem solve any challenges, and model therapy techniques to support ongoing progress.

As with in-person therapy, we continually evaluate what is best for you and your whānau and work collaboratively with you to determine the next best steps.

Is anything done differently for telehealth compared to in-person therapy?

For the most part, the same tasks can be carried out for both in-person and telehealth sessions. The only assessment that is impacted is the oro-motor examination, which is used to assess the function of your child’s mouth, jaw, and tongue, as it relates to eating and drinking. Parts of this assessment cannot be completed via teletherapy. We do, however, use a wide range of assessments to help us understand the factors that may influence your child’s feeding difficulties.

Telehealth may feel a little different to in-person therapy at first, however, we and our clients find telehealth to be an effective way to deliver both assessment and therapy, and our clients appreciate the convenience that telehealth offers.

As with any technology, technical challenges may arise from time to time, however, these can usually be resolved during the session so therapy can continue as planned.  

Telehealth costs the same as in-person therapy, why is this?

Our pricing considers all aspects of therapy, which includes time to prepare for the session (e.g. watching relevant videos and/or reading emails, developing resources), consultation within the session, and time to complete documentation after the session (e.g. clinical notes, and email summaries with additional resources/information and a plan for the following week). We need to continue to charge for our time to ensure we can provide the best service to you and your whānau, whether this is via telehealth, or in-person therapy.

Can I combine both in-person and telehealth options?

Yes – therapy is individualised to meet the needs of you and your whānau; a combination of in-person and telehealth sessions may best suit your needs. For example, the assessment session could be completed in-person, and additional therapy sessions completed via telehealth. We are flexible and can adapt to your needs, even if these change during a block of therapy.