Telepractice: Start with Research!

I belong to three Facebook groups dedicated to telepractice: SLP Practice Collaboration, Telepractice for SLP's, Teletherapy Materials for Speech-Language Pathologists. I found the groups after purchasing teletherapy materials from Teacher Pay Teachers (TpT). One of the sellers I had purchased materials from was a moderator on one of the Facebook pages. From there, I found recommendations for two more useful pages. That came almost 3 years after my initial interest in teletherapy. I was still working for a school district at the time and was investigating telepractice as a way to continue my SLP career after retiring from my current position. Articles in ASHA Leader and the addition of a SIG for Telepractice attracted me. I began searching for jobs on Indeed and made a list of all of the states licenses that companies wanted and a list of telepractice agencies or companies. Frankly, I felt like I was trying to connect dots and collect clues to solve a mystery.  My research was aimed at determining if telepractice could be a viable source of income and if it could be a delivery model that could help me get back to my focus on making a difference for children and families rather than doing paperwork and bus duty. During the last year before I retired, I had become so beaten down that I wasn't sure I had anything to offer anyone. Once I started interviewing with telepractice companies, I found out I had plenty to offer. Experience. Lots of it. Decades of it. And after a year of telepractice, I can say I've used all 30 years of that experience. I have learned a ton and my list of things I want and need to learn expands daily. And that feels good to me. I am happiest when I am in charge of my own learning. When considering telepractice as a possible career, I recommend the 3 R's: Research, Reflect, Reach Out. Transitioning to telepractice requires that you start by doing your homework. Your own homework. Make a list of questions and start finding the answers.