Review Online Speech Therapy Providers

Online speech therapy is on the rise as with the proliferation of video call software such as Zoom which allows for more flexibility, convenience, and access to care than in-person services. In fact, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) says that 50% of speech therapy is done via teletherpay.

Not all online speech therapy platforms are created equal so I have spent days researching the different companies, their offering, prices, read through customer reviews and summarized my findings below:

Best Online Speech Therapy 2022

Best Overall: Better Speech

2nd place: SLPTele

3rd place: Remote Speech

4th place: Expressable

5th place: Great Speech

Below is a description of each of the top services reviewed and what are the advantages and disadvantages of each:

Better Speech

Why It Was Chosen: It is the most comprehensive program at the most affordable price. They service both children and adults for $59 per week and provide unlimited access to speech practices between sessions. Customers rave about the therapists and they are the only provider that can start sessions the next day - a great plus. They offer insurance and overall it is one of the more affordable private pay options with weekly and monthly payment options.

Link to their site: https://www.betterspeech.com

Advantages:

More affordable than other online speech therapy
Comprehensive speech development plan with badges that motivates children to progress
The only provider that provides monthly speech progress graph
100% satisfaction money-back guarantee policy means you can try it first
Over 150 speech-language pathologists on staff
Available in all 50 states (and even in some international countries)
Provides free consultation

Disadvantages:

Large company

Overview:
Better Speech offers speech therapy for both kids and adults. They have over 150 speech therapist in every state in the U.S. plus few international countries (Australia, Canada, UK, Honk Kong etc.). Their price start at $59 for a week which includes unlimited access to their library of speech practices and digital games.

Better Speech has a detailed program of speech development that no other service provider offer that sends badges of speech improvement to the patient. They also send a monthly graph report that shows the weekly progress the patient make towards achieving their speech goal.

The reviews on customer forums are very good and customers seem to like that you can easily join the service and get immediately matched to a speech therapist and start sessions the same week. The service offers a free consultation before joining and also 100% money back guarantee if you didn't like the session. You can cancel the subscription online at anytime. Customer service has both telephone and email support.

SLPTele

Why It Was Chosen: SLPTele technology-centric company provides clinical care by pushing the boundaries of technology. They accepts various health insurance plans, including government health programs like Medicare. They provide a collection of online resources that include therapy activities, tracking tools, and progress monitoring assessments.

Link to their site: https://www.slptele.com/

Advantages:

Services for children and adults
Access to video recorded sessions
Comprehensive programs available

Disadvantages:

No transparent pricing - need to call for pricing structure
Need to have a referral/authorization from doctor
Insurance is only accepted in certain states/areas

Overview:

SLPTELE treats speech, language, and social communication disorders. They focus on addressing communication problems, issues associated with memory loss, swallowing dysfunctions, and musculoskeletal injuries, and offer a free consultation.

If you like their price, you will be assigned a speech therapist who will do an initial assessment and develop a plan of care before initiating sessions. This therapist will be with you for all sessions unless you request a change. If the service is for your child, they encourage parents and caregivers to be involved in the sessions.
If you do not have some sort of electronic device, SLPTELE offers leasing options on tablets.

In addition to a wide range of health insurance plans, SLPTELE accepts government health insurance programs such as Medicare and Medi-Cal; they also accept select plans purchased on your own. Plus, they will bill your insurance company after your session.

Remote Speech

Why It Was Chosen: Remote Speech works with with children and adults. They provide accent modification and specializes in working with adults who have experiences strokes and cognitive changes like dementia.

Link to their site: https://remotespeech.com/

Advantages:

Comprehensive cloud-based platform
Provide speech therapy world-wide
Specialties in dementia and other cognitive changes

Disadvantages:

Not offered in all states
Pricing not readily available
Services for children are limited compared to other platforms

Overview:

Remote Speech is connected to Abington Speech Pathology, a larger company that provides speech rehabilitation and staffing. Their video platform allows adults to access services at home for issues like strokes, dementia, and other cognitive changes, or if you simply want to improve your speech and language skills.

Remote Speech also offers children flexible hours after school and on weekends. And, if you are a school administrator, Remote Speech provides speech therapy services for schools.

To start you will use VirtualTx, a cloud-based platform, as the point of contact which allows direct chat with your therapist, email notifications, scheduling options, billing, access to therapist notes, and a comprehensive library of materials for children and adult clients.

Expressable

Why It Was Chosen: Expressable provides speech therapy for adults and kids and focus only on online. They charge $59 for each 30-minute session.

Link to their site: https://www.expressable.com/

Advantages:

There are no contracts and you can cancel anytime
Affordable private pay
Flexible scheduling to meet your needs

Disadvantages:

Does not accept insurance
$118 per week can be expensive
Not available in all states - need to call to check

Overview:

Expressable offers affordable online speech therapy for children, teens, and some adults. When treating younger children, Expressable includes parents or caregivers in every session. To start you need to schedule a consultation to meet with a licensed speech therapist. Then you are matched with a therapist that you can message with SMS messages.
The website does not list the states they offer services in, so you will need to call or schedule a consultation to determine eligibility.

They offer two payment options: one session weekly for $59 and two sessions weekly for $118. They do not bill health insurance.

They partner with home health agencies to provide therapy designed to meet patients’ communication goals.

Great Speech

Why It Was Chosen: Great Speech provides services to children and adults. To start you need to call to set up a consultation.

Link to their site: https://www.greatspeech.com/

Advantages:

Provides speech therapy for a wide range of communication goals
Over 50 speech therapists available
Serves people of all ages

Disadvantages:

More expensive than other programs at $75 for 30 minutes (27% more then others )
Recommends a long treatment plan, which can get expensive
Private pay only, no insurance

Overview:

Great Speech offer speech therapy for speech delays, articulation, accent modification, language disorders, impairment due to injuries and disease, stuttering, voice therapy, and more through an online forum.

In adults, speech therapists provide various services for clients living with Alzheimer’s, dementia, executive functioning deficits, Parkinson’s disease, stroke and aphasia, traumatic brain injuries, voice disorders, and more. You can also choose to work on professional communication skills to make you more competitive in the workforce.

You need to begin with a consultation call that will lead to a plan of care.