Transitioning Speech-Language Assessment to a Virtual Environment: Lessons Learned From the ELLA Study.

Area of Science:

• Speech-Language Pathology
• Pediatric Audiology
• Telehealth

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of virtual speech-language services.
• Many speech-language pathologists (SLPs) lacked prior experience with telepractice.
• Transitioning to virtual assessments presented unique challenges for ongoing research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To detail the transition of a longitudinal study (Early Language and Literacy Acquisition in Children with Hearing Loss) from in-person to virtual speech-language assessments.
• To offer practical recommendations for optimizing virtual assessment procedures for children, including those with hearing loss.

Main Methods:

• An overview of the decision-making process during the shift to virtual assessments was provided.
• A pilot study was conducted to evaluate the test-retest reliability of speech-language measures administered virtually compared to in-person assessments.
• The pilot study focused on a subset of preschool-age participants.

Main Results:

• Most speech-language measures demonstrated high or adequate test-retest reliability in a virtual setting.
• Timed measures were more susceptible to reliability issues when administered virtually.
• Virtual assessment is feasible for preschool-aged children, including those with hearing loss.

Conclusions:

• Speech-language assessments can be successfully performed virtually for preschool children with hearing loss.
• Clinicians should consider specific strategies to enhance the effectiveness of virtual assessment sessions.
• Telepractice offers a viable alternative for delivering essential speech-language services.