The efficacy of telehealth-delivered speech and language intervention for primary school-age children: a systematic review

Why the study was done

Not every family can get to a clinic, especially in rural areas. Telehealth could make therapy easier to reach, but families and clinicians need to know whether it works as well as therapy in the same room.

What the researchers did

Following standard systematic-review methods, the authors searched five databases, two journals and reference lists. Of 132 articles found, seven met the criteria. All compared telehealth-delivered speech-language therapy with in-person therapy for primary school-age children with speech and/or language difficulties.

What they found

• Across the included studies, six outcome measures were used.
• On five of the six, children receiving telehealth and children receiving in-person therapy made significant and similar improvements.
• The authors described the evidence as limited but promising, especially for children in rural areas with fewer in-person options.

What this means for families

For many school-age children, therapy by video can be a good option when in-person visits are hard to arrange. We offer teletherapy alongside in-home visits, and we will talk with you about which setting fits your child's needs.

Limits of the study

Only seven studies were included, and the authors called for more rigorous research to confirm that telehealth is as effective as in-person therapy for this age group.