Engaging Young Children in Speech and Language Therapy via Videoconferencing

This chapter focuses on synchronous audio-visual communication technologies, which are best suited for the clinical treatment of young children. It explores the materials and strategies used by speech and language therapists and service users to facilitate engagement in therapeutic interventions via telehealth. The chapter describes practical ways that therapists use physical objects to engage young children via the particular telehealth medium of videoconferencing. It identifies some major ways in which therapists can incorporate objects into therapy sessions conducted via videoconferencing. Therapists tended to show the objects to clients, using either their webcam or document camera. The session involves the use of a game that the therapist has opened on a tablet computer that is within her possession. The client’s task is to verbalise one of the two words that are illustrated: ‘milk’ or ‘yucky’. Everyday technologies, such as videoconferencing, are a widely available resource that can enhance access to specialist speech and language therapy services.