Challenges and opportunities of tele-speech therapy: Before and during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

In 2020, with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the treatment and rehabilitation process faced problems and challenges. One of the most efficient therapy approaches in this period was telerehabilitation. Telepractice in speech therapy presents many challenges and opportunities. In this article, we review published articles up to June 2023 and summarize the challenges and opportunities of the COVID-19 pandemic for speech therapy. Researchers and clinicians have found that tele-speech therapy is an effective tool for improving access to high-quality services and a viable mechanism for delivering speech and language interventions. The results of teletherapy or telepractice during the COVID-19 pandemic were divided into opportunities and challenges. Speech therapy has moved toward telerehabilitation to improve treatment competence during the pandemic. Finally, teletherapy methods were more suitable for speech and language pathology.