Virtual Speech Therapy
Adapting our work to reach patients where they are during the pandemic – and into the future.
FACES offers both surgical and speech interventions for patients suffering from cleft palates and lips. This is a successful, long-term model of comprehensive care, maintaining a strong and sustainable connection with patients. Speech interventions have been an integral part of our work, providing critical care and accompaniment to patients as they navigate a new world, post-surgery.
When the global pandemic grounded our surgical interventions, our speech therapy accompaniment took flight. We moved to a virtual mode of delivering speech therapy to an ever-growing group of young FACES patients, expanding this essential work to reach out in this new setting.
“There was one moment during a teletherapy speech session when we were logging off with one patient and she held up a heart sign with her hands. It was a special moment when you could tell she appreciated our help and missed us. I know the providers on the zoom felt the same way. I know we are all looking forward to being back in person in the future.“
Chelsea Sommer, MS, CCC-SLP is a bilingual Spanish-English speaking speech and language pathologist.
“The most rewarding thing to me during all these sessions is when I can hear patients saying they listen to their own speech sound different, and this is making their self-esteem grow on themselves. I personally think when self-esteem grows inside of yourself you feel more powerful, and you start looking for other horizons in life. I also think parents feel happier because their children are making progress.”
Delia Delgado Maldonado is FACES’s bilingual Peru Patient Coordinator, located in Lambayeque.