IJERPH, Vol. 18, Pages 11812: Practitioner and Service User Perspectives on the Rapid Shift to Teletherapy for Individuals on the Autism Spectrum as a Result of COVID-19

IJERPH, Vol. 18, Pages 11812: Practitioner and Service User Perspectives on the Rapid Shift to Teletherapy for Individuals on the Autism Spectrum as a Result of COVID-19 International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph182211812 Authors: Genevieve Johnsson Kim Bulkeley Prior to COVID-19, research into teletherapy models for individuals on the autism spectrum was slowly progressing. Following the onset of COVID-19, teletherapy became a necessity for continuity of services, however, research was still emerging for how to translate best practice autism support to the online environment. The aim of this research was to gain insight into the rapid shift to teletherapy for practitioner and service users and the implications for the broader disability sector. Survey responses were collected from 141 allied health practitioners (speech pathologists, occupational therapists, psychologists, educators, and social workers) from four Australian states and territories. A total of 806 responses were collected from service users following an individual teletherapy session. Five themes were identified during the qualitative analysis; (1) technology—love it or hate it; (2) teletherapy as a “new normal”; (3) short term pain, for long term gain; (4) the shape of service delivery has changed; (5) is teletherapy always an option? Data from the quantitative analysis provided further insights into the first two themes. While COVID-19 has brought fo...
Source: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Tags: Article Source Type: research