Bridging School Support Gaps With Teletherapy

American public schools educate more than seven million students with disabilities, who need access to specialized therapy services. But many public schools struggle to provide such services due to staffing shortages and limited resources. According to 2024 data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), 55% of public schools cited insufficient mental health staff as a factor preventing schools from providing effective mental health services to students. Teletherapy is helping to close this gap, though. By connecting students with licensed professionals who can deliver targeted treatment, teletherapy is helping schools across the country improve students’ academic, behavioral, social, and emotional outcomes. Here’s what to know about teletherapy in special education and how it benefits students with diverse learning needs.

In this article, you’ll find…

What Is Teletherapy In Special Education?

Teletherapy in special education refers to the use of digital technologies to deliver therapy services to students with disabilities.

Instead of meeting with students in person, therapists use video conferencing platforms, online apps, text messaging, email, and other digital communication tools to virtually connect with students and provide support.

Teletherapy in special education takes four key forms:

1. Occupational therapy (OT)
2. Physical therapy
3. Speech-language therapy (SLP)
4. Mental health and behavioral therapy

According to Kate Eberle Walker, CEO of a teletherapy provider, teletherapy for students arose out of a shortage of qualified mental health professionals in public schools. “Schools would try their best to recruit [qualified professionals], and in some cases, they’d have shortages on their staff and that would trickle down to the kids, who wouldn’t then get their therapy sessions,” Walker told the Raise the Line podcast in 2021. “And so, teletherapy really came to be in education in that context of saying, ‘Well, we can help connect those therapists to the kids,'” she added.

How Does Teletherapy Work In Special Education?

Teletherapy works by connecting therapists and students via a secure online platform so they can collaborate and work on key skills like communication and self-regulation. During each session, the therapist draws on their clinical and educational expertise and integrates digital learning tools—like interactive whiteboards and visual aids—to effectively engage students, evaluate their learning needs, and build specific skills. Here’s a more detailed breakdown of the teletherapy process:

1. Therapist Matching

Based on information provided by the school and caregiver, the teletherapy vendor will match a student with a licensed therapist, whether that’s a speech-language pathologist, occupational therapist, or psychologist.

2. Scheduling And Connecting Online

The school’s special education team will work with the vendor to schedule an appointment. The team will find a quiet setting for the student to work in and provide a laptop they can use for the session. The student will log onto the session via a video conferencing platform like Zoom or Google Meet.

3. Session Delivery

During the session, the therapist will incorporate exercises, games, interactive lessons, and multimedia to help the student accomplish a specific goal. For example, a speech therapist might incorporate video clips from an animated movie to target a student’s social communication skills. A school facilitator will monitor the session and intervene if necessary. Each weekly session will last between 30 to 60 minutes.

4. Feedback And Progress Monitoring

The therapist will track the student’s progress and offer feedback in real time. Sessions may be recorded with the school and caregiver’s permission and used for progress monitoring. After a session, the therapist will provide homework for the student to complete and plan for the next session.

Is Teletherapy Effective For Students With Disabilities?

Research shows that teletherapy is effective for students with disabilities. For example, one study published in the Cureus medical research journal found that teleconsultation effectively supported the treatment and rehabilitation of children with disabilities during the COVID-19 lockdown. And in general, many schools are just as satisfied with using teletherapy for students as they are with using in-person therapy—if not more. An eLuma survey of K-12 leaders even found that 81% of respondents said that virtual therapy is equal to or better than in-person therapy.

As far as what successful special education teletherapy looks like in practice, here are a few results from relevant research and case studies:

• The director of special education at Peoria Public Schools reported a decrease in externalizing behavior after implementing teletherapy.
• Tomball Independent School District saw a 71% decrease in in-school suspensions after partnering with an online special education and mental health services provider.
• Flint Hills Special Education Cooperative reported a 92% customer satisfaction rating after bringing in an online therapy provider.

5 Benefits Of Using Teletherapy In Special Education

Teletherapy in special education provides a plethora of benefits by harnessing the power of technology. These benefits include everything from enhanced access to specialized services to continuous, uninterrupted care for students with disabilities.

1. Expanded Access To Specialized Services

Teletherapy ensures students don’t have to travel far to access specialized services. Instead, they can hop online and receive high-quality therapy services from licensed professionals. These professionals are trained to address students’ specific needs, whether that’s speech therapy, occupational therapy, or mental health counseling.

Such tailored support means students receive the focused instruction and interventions they need to make measurable improvements in school and daily life. For example, a teletherapy platform might connect a sixth grader struggling with social communication with a licensed speech-language pathologist who can deliver comprehensive support in that area.

2. Quality Care From Diverse Clinicians

Springtide Research Institute found that young people of color are more likely to agree that it’s “important” for a mental health counselor to share their racial or ethnic background. However, finding qualified clinicians who reflect students’ diverse identities poses a challenge for time and budget-constrained school districts.

Luckily, teletherapy makes it easy to connect students with professionals who reflect their cultural and linguistic backgrounds. For example, a teletherapy platform can match a Black female student to a Black female therapist. Or, a Spanish-speaking student to a Spanish-speaking therapist.

Research supports the affirmation of diverse students’ backgrounds in therapy. For example, an American Speech-Language Hearing Association study found that speech-language pathologists who demonstrate cultural humility and rapport strengthen therapeutic relationships with students from diverse backgrounds.

3. Continuity Of Care

Teletherapy is accessible 24/7, including during summer breaks and other school breaks when in-person counseling services are limited or unavailable. So, during such hiatuses, schools need only work with teletherapy vendors to deliver extended school year (ESY) services to students. This allows students to receive care without delay or interruption. Otherwise, students would risk falling behind in their progress or reversing the gains they’ve made.

A prime example of the risks of interrupted care is the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time, many schools struggled to provide in-person mental health support to students after mandated closures. As a result, many students’ mental health symptoms worsened.

Teletherapy providers, however, helped provide support during the lockdowns, maintaining students’ developmental gains. For example, a study published in the International Journal of Telerehabilitation found that children maintained their progress toward treatment goals when transitioning from in-person to virtual services during the COVID-19 pandemic.

4. Flexible Scheduling

Teletherapy provides flexible scheduling for therapy sessions. Sessions occur at a time and place that is convenient for students and school districts. Indeed, according to eLuma’s survey, over 62% of K-12 leaders cited flexible scheduling as a significant advantage.

This flexibility ensures students can access the support they need when they need it, enhancing outcomes. It also ensures that school facilitators can be present at sessions to monitor student engagement and session quality.

5. Enhanced Student Engagement

Today’s students are digital natives. Per the Pew Research Center, 46% of teens report being online constantly. So, the online modality of teletherapy provides a familiar and comfortable format that students are likely to engage with.

In fact, 37.9% of K-12 leaders said that teletherapy improved student engagement, according to the same eLuma survey. For example, many students are comfortable working on laptops, tablets, and other mobile devices, so therapists can use these technologies to integrate online learning tools into sessions.

Assistive technology can further enhance student engagement. Teletherapy providers can take advantage of tools like:

1. Screen readers and magnifiers
2. Text-to-speech software
3. Speech-generating or communication devices

Thereby, increasing student participation and yielding better outcomes.

6 Tips For Implementing Teletherapy In Special Education

School leaders should take a strategic approach to teletherapy implementation. This ensures students, parents, and teachers have the resources they need for a successful teletherapy program. On that note, here are six steps leaders should follow to effectively implement a teletherapy program at their school.

1. Select A Trusted Teletherapy Provider

Look for vendors that meet your school’s specific needs, are HIPAA-compliant, have licensed and diverse clinicians, and are trained to treat students with disabilities.

2. Educate Parents And Staff

Explain the benefits of teletherapy to parents and staff to secure buy-in. Also, provide robust, ongoing training on teletherapy platforms and how to support students during teletherapy sessions to ensure success.

3. Coordinate Teletherapy

Make sure students have access to the necessary equipment for teletherapy sessions and that a learning coach or facilitator is present. Ensure sessions are conducted in a quiet space such as a speech therapy room.

4. Set Goals For Students

Therapists should assess students and collaborate with parents and teachers to develop tailored goals and strategies. This will ensure students receive targeted interventions and make steady progress toward their goals.

5. Monitor Results

Consistent progress monitoring will help therapists, teachers, and parents see how students are progressing. It will also supply district leaders with the data needed to make informed decisions about their teletherapy investment.

6. Make Adjustments

School leaders can use data on student engagement, IEP goal progress, and assessment results to determine whether to adjust their program or to continue working with their teletherapy vendor. In general, leaders should work with a vendor for at least a semester to gain sufficient data on program effectiveness.

Successful Teletherapy Implementation Takes A Village

Implementing teletherapy in special education benefits everyone involved. Schools find highly qualified professionals to treat their students. Students receive specialized services from providers who reflect their racial-ethnic backgrounds. And parents witness noticeable improvements in their child’s academic, social, and emotional progress.

But for such results to occur, schools must avoid skimping on the teletherapy implementation process. Find high-quality, HIPAA-compliant vendors who have a track record of success with students with disabilities. Also, educate all stakeholders and maintain open communication as the teletherapy program goes into full swing. After all, teletherapy programs don’t succeed in silos. Instead, they flourish through continuous collaboration between schools, parents, vendors, and therapists—and a shared commitment to supporting students consistently and holistically.