Our Expressable Portal Helps You Make Faster Progress in Speech Therapy
Leanne Sherred, M.S., CCC-SLP
Whether you’re learning to tie your shoes or play the guitar, the more you practice, the sooner you’ll get the hang of it. It’s the same with speech therapy: More practice equals faster progress.
Of course, getting kids to practice anything can be… tricky. And most adults have busy enough schedules as it is.
That’s why now, through our Expressable portal, we’re making it even easier for our clients to:
Review what you’re learning in speech therapy
Practice your new skills at home, between sessions
We want to help you keep speech and language learning going all week long–so you or your child reach your goals sooner!
Learning Paths help you review what you learned in sessions
Here’s how it works. Through the portal, your Expressable speech therapist assigns you Learning Paths explaining the strategies covered in your sessions. These educational modules are interactive and easy to use. They include:
Step-by-step directions
Demo videos
Tips, tricks, and examples
A quick quiz to test your knowledge
Whether you’re learning techniques for stuttering, practicing a sound like /s/ or /r/, or helping your toddler use more words, Learning Paths will reinforce what your speech therapist is teaching you. You can click through and review, anytime you like!
Home practice, made even easier
At Expressable, we’ve always been champions of home practice. Your speech therapist shows you the techniques you need to keep improving. But it’s by practicing throughout the week–not just an hour or two in sessions–that you truly learn and master those techniques.
That’s why after every session, your speech therapist will assign you a home practice activity. Activities might include puzzles or worksheets, games to play with your child, or simple ways to practice during routines like mealtime or commuting. Don’t worry, these activities are designed to be easy to fit into your daily schedule!
Once you complete the activity, you can submit it through the portal so your speech therapist knows how it went. Your feedback will help them plan your next session, too.
Help your child make faster progress in speech therapy
For kids in speech therapy, parents and caregivers play a huge role in making practice happen. And that makes a big difference in their progress. Don’t just take our word for it–the research bears it out!
For example, one study looked at how well “parent-implemented intervention” worked among groups of parents trained to promote their child’s communication. Here were some key results:
Parents were successfully able to understand the strategies taught by the speech therapists and use them when interacting with their child.
Parents had a positive effect on their child’s communication development. As a result of the parents’ involvement, children showed improvement in their verbal and nonverbal communication skills.
Parents were just as effective at helping their child as speech therapists were.
At Expressable, we’re committed to empowering parents to work directly with their children–and that’s a big reason we created these Learning Paths. While caregiver involvement can't replace ongoing speech therapy, it should be used to supplement progress. Our Learning Paths and home practice activities help you do just that–so your child can reach their goals, and even graduate from therapy, sooner!
Make the most of speech therapy with your client portal
We know the families and adults we serve are busy! We built the Expressable client portal as a one-stop shop of resources. In your portal, you can find everything you need for your speech therapy journey:
View your care plan
Track your progress toward your goals
Review your speech therapist’s notes from each session
Access Learning Paths, videos, and weekly home practice activities
See your upcoming appointments
View your receipts and claims information
How to get started with speech therapy
If you think your child might need speech therapy, or you’d like to explore speech therapy for yourself, don’t put it off. The sooner intervention begins, the sooner the person will start to see progress!
You can take our free online screener to help determine whether a speech evaluation makes sense for you or your child. No matter when communication problems start or what the cause is, a speech evaluation is always recommended.
If you’re looking for services for your child, ask their pediatrician for speech therapy recommendations. You can also talk to your insurance company and read reviews online. In your research, consider online speech therapy. The cost and convenience makes it a popular choice for many busy families and adults. Research has shown online speech therapy to be just as effective as in-person therapy.
If you have questions, contact Expressable to schedule a free phone consultation with one of our licensed speech therapists. We’re here to support you or your loved one on their communication journey, every step of the way.
