A few months ago I was at a conference where I was often asked what it takes to be a good telepractitioner. While there are no studies available for SLPs regarding personal characteristics,  I do believe, from my experience, that there are a few traits that are important in becoming a quality telepractitioner. If you do not possess these attributes, you can work to improve them with your face-to-face clients before you jump into telepractice.

• Comfort with technology (computers, web browsers, basic trouble-shooting)
  • You don’t need to be an expert with technology, but must be comfortable enough with it so sessions run smoothly.
• Organized
  • It is essential to prepare for sessions prior to starting each day/session because it is not as easy to grab a new activity if what you are working on is not engaging for the student.
• Animated and Engaging
  • You must be able to engage your  client and keep their attention. This is a bit easier when working with older students and adults, but not so easy with younger clients.
• Great communication skills
  • Most clinicians are great communicators. It is imperative that clinicians, at least initially, over-communicate with on-site personnel or families.
• Flexibility
  • When things don’t work well, it is important that you are flexible and roll with the punches. Always remain calm and have a sense of humor when technology doesn’t work.
• Problem-solver
  • As they say, “stuff happens”. The ability to think on your feet, figure out the problem and solve it quickly will definitely come in handy when working in a telepractice session.

Working on these skills will assist in providing high quality telepractice services for your clients.  These are all traits that can be improved if you work at it.  Good luck with your telepractice endeavors!  It is an exciting way to provide speech and language services to children (or adults) who might not otherwise receive services due to lack of providers, or difficulty getting to/from clinics and other sites.