Providing Virtual Support to Children with Mild Developmental Delays in Response to the Pandemic

Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Available from: Wolters Kluwer. 351 West Camden Street, Baltimore, MD 21201. Tel: 800-638-3030; e-mail: [email protected]; Web site: https://journals.lww.com/pages/default.aspx

Y

16

Developmental Delays; COVID-19; Pandemics; Preschool Children; Computer Mediated Communication; Comparative Analysis; Expressive Language; Communication Skills; Videoconferencing; Speech Therapy; Language Skills; Outcomes of Treatment; Listening Comprehension

10.1097/IYC.0000000000000243

0896-3746
1550-5081

The COVID-19 pandemic has had massive impacts across the globe. Children with developmental delays are an increasingly vulnerable population, highlighting the importance of ensuring they have access to high-quality virtual services during this time. The Early Discovery program currently provides therapeutic interventions for children with mild developmental delays. We sought to compare the outcomes of 2 cohorts within the Early Discovery program using different delivery approaches (n = 238 families): children who received services in person before the pandemic (n = 126) and children who received services via telehealth in the acute phase of the pandemic (n = 112). Both groups of children showed significant improvements in language skills posttreatment, and, with regard to auditory comprehension, both groups showed similar rates of improvement. However, children receiving in-person services before the pandemic showed greater improvements in expressive communication skills than children receiving telehealth services during the pandemic. Results indicate that the Early Discovery program was able to make adjustments during the pandemic that assisted families in maintaining progress in improving their child's language skills.

As Provided

2023

EJ1395993