NYMC Faculty Publications

Comparison of Goal Achievement When Transitioning From In-Person Therapy to Teletherapy in Westchester County Early Intervention Program Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic

Author Type(s)

Faculty

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Research Article with the Highest Usage for NYMC Author

DOI

10.5195/ijt.2022.6450

Journal Title

International Journal of Telerehabilitation

First Page

e6450

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-2022

Department

Speech-Language Pathology

Second Department

Pediatrics

Abstract

The sudden transition to virtual therapeutic services during the COVID-19 pandemic provided a unique opportunity to explore telehealth as a platform for delivering early intervention (EI) services. Through retrospective chart review of 93 children, we collected the following data: demographics, diagnosed conditions, therapy type, service format, and provider-reported participant goal achievement (1=no progress, 2=little progress, 3=moderate progress, 4=great deal of progress, 5=outcome achieved) over a six-month period before and after transitioning to telehealth. Pre- and post-transition progress scores were compared using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Results demonstrated maintained progress among children who transitioned from in-person to virtual services for similar therapy types. Children receiving speech therapy in-person and virtually demonstrated increased achievement (3.00 vs 3.33; p=0.032). Participants receiving a particular therapy post-transition but not in-person attained similar achievement as those who received the same therapy only in-person. Our research suggests that teletherapy may be a viable option for delivering EI services.

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