Teletherapy: Summer Speech Homework Using Shared Folder in Drive

One effective way to share summer speech activities with families is to use a shared folder in Drive. Parents will need to have a Google account to access the documents. With that in mind, NEVER include any Protected Health Information (PHI) about your students anywhere in the documents or in the folder, even if students need a link to access the folder.

Steps for Making a Homework Folder in Drive

1.       To create your folder, go into your Drive.

2.       Then left click NEW, then left click FOLDER. You will see a box called New Folder. Name your folder then select CREATE.

3.       Once created, it will show up as folder in your Drive. Double click on the folder and a large circle that says, DROP FILES HERE, will appear.

4.       You can upload PDF’s and Documents into the folder. Within the folder, you can create sub folders for specific areas such as articulation of language activities.

5.       To create sub-folders within the Homework Folder, right click in the empty folder and a box with options will appear. Select NEW FOLDER and name it to create the sub-folder. The great thing about using the folder is that you can add to it at any time. Many parents may not have a printer or want to print out worksheets. Uploading colorful NO PRINT activities, as long as you have Terms of Use permission, can be an effective solution for families on the go. If parents have Drive as an app on their phone or tablet, they will be able to access full color activities on their devices.

6.       To share the folder with families, you will need to right click on the folder name. You can do this a couple of ways. You can right click on the folder as it appears with your other folders in Drive or if you have already opened the folder, click on the drop down arrow next to the name of the folder. Right click on SHARE. Click on CHANGE.

7.       You will see a drop down next to ANYONE WITH THE LINK can view. Copy the link to share with your families.

8.       You can also right click on the folder and select GET SHAREABLE LINK. If link share is OFF, slide the button right so it turns green then the link will be copied to your clipboard and you can paste it into an email or document.

9.       Below is a link for an editable calendar that can be used to created customized calendars that can be saved as PDF’s and added to a shared activities folder in your Drive. The second link is for a NO Print Calendar that is also editable in Google Slides and can be uploaded into a shared folder.

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.