Speech therapy by telepractice across Quebec and Ontario

Telepractice means speech-language assessment and therapy by live video, with you or your child at home and a speech-language pathologist on the other side of the screen. We provide the same speech and language services online that we offer at our Marché Central clinic in Montréal, using the same clinical approach.

We have digitalized our assessment tools and administer them online using the same techniques as in the clinic. Our interactive platform lets clients take part directly: they can move, click and manipulate materials on screen, much as they would with the games and books in our offices.

How it works

Before the first session

When you contact us, our team asks a few questions about your concerns, your location and your language preferences. We match you with a clinician licensed to practise in your province and send you a link to join the session, along with simple instructions.

During a session

You join from your computer or tablet. Your clinician shares activities on screen: picture scenes, games, books, drawing tools, video models of speech movements. Your child can point, drag, draw and choose, so the session stays active rather than passive.

Sessions follow the same structure as in person: a check-in, focused practice on goals, and time at the end to review strategies and plan practice for the week.

Between sessions

Your clinician may share home practice ideas, visuals or short activity suggestions. Because therapy happens in your home, strategies are often easier to carry into daily routines.

What you need

• A computer or tablet with a working camera and microphone (a phone screen is usually too small for activities)
• A stable internet connection
• A quiet, well-lit room with few distractions
• Headphones with a microphone, if your household is busy
• For young children: a parent or caregiver nearby, and a few toys or books your clinician may ask you to have on hand

If you are unsure about your setup, let us know when you book and we will help you get ready.

What telepractice is good for

Research suggests that telepractice can be effective for many speech and language goals. It often works well for:

• Language therapy for children, teens and adults
• Speech sound therapy, once a child can engage with on-screen activities
• Stuttering therapy, including parent-delivered approaches
• Parent coaching for toddlers and young children
• Literacy support, voice therapy and accent modification
• Aphasia and other acquired communication needs, when the person is comfortable with the technology (often with family support)
• Families who live far from our Montréal clinic, have tight schedules, or face mobility challenges

It also lets you continue therapy during a busy season, a move or a stretch of bad winter weather.

When in-person may be better

Telepractice is not the right fit for everyone or every goal. Your clinician may recommend in-person sessions when:

• Very hands-on work is needed, for example with certain motor speech or orofacial myofunctional goals
• Some swallowing assessments call for direct observation in person
• A child cannot yet engage with a screen, even with parent support
• Hearing, vision or attention make video difficult
• Internet access at home is unreliable

These are recommendations, not rules. We discuss the options with you and choose what will work best.

Assessment by telepractice

Assessments by telepractice follow the same steps as in our clinic: an interview with the parent or client, informal assessment through play or conversation, standardized testing, a written report and a debrief. Our assessment tools have been digitalized so we can present them on screen.

For young children, a parent often helps with set-up and keeps the child comfortable. Your clinician will tell you in advance what to prepare. If any part of the assessment would be more accurate in person, we will say so.

Engaging young children online

Keeping a three-year-old on screen takes planning. We use short, varied activities, lots of movement and songs, and interactive games that respond to your child’s choices. We often build the session around your child’s own toys, which makes practice feel natural.

For toddlers, much of the work happens through you. Your clinician watches you play with your child, suggests small changes, and helps you try them on the spot. This coaching model is central to early language programs like those developed by Hanen. Learn more on our parent coaching page.

The parent’s role

Telepractice gives parents a front-row seat. You see exactly what your clinician does and why, and you practise with your child in the same space where daily life happens. Depending on age and goals, you may:

• Sit beside your child to help with attention and set-up
• Take part in activities and practise strategies with coaching
• Step out for part of the session with an older child or teen, then join at the end for a summary

Teens and adults online

Many teens and adults find telepractice easy to fit into a school or work week. A session can happen from a quiet room at home or a private office, without travel time. For adults working on voice, stuttering or accent modification, practising in the same space where you make calls or attend meetings can make it easier to use new strategies in real situations.

For adults with aphasia or other acquired communication needs, a family member often helps with the technology at first. Your clinician can also show them strategies that make conversation at home easier.

Tips for a smooth session

• Log in a few minutes early to check sound and video
• Close other programs and tabs, and silence notifications
• Place the camera so your clinician can see your child’s face clearly; for speech sounds, good lighting on the mouth helps
• Keep a glass of water, paper and crayons nearby
• Have a plan for siblings and pets, as far as possible
• If the connection drops, rejoin with the same link; your clinician will wait for you

Privacy and security

We use a secure video platform for sessions and handle your personal information in line with Quebec and Ontario privacy laws and the standards of our professional orders. Please join from a private space where you are comfortable talking. If you have questions about how your information is handled, ask your clinician or our team.

Across Quebec and Ontario

Speech-language pathologists must be registered with the regulatory body of the province where the client lives: the OOAQ in Quebec and CASLPO in Ontario. Wherever you live in Quebec or Ontario, we match you with a clinician licensed to practise where you live. See the details for your province: online speech therapy in Quebec and online speech therapy in Ontario.

Our only physical clinic is at Marché Central in Montréal. Families anywhere else in Quebec, and all families in Ontario, are seen by telepractice. You receive the same assessments, the same therapy and the same clinical care as in the clinic, from home.

Our team speaks English, French and many other languages. Availability varies, so we match you with the best fit we can for your language and your goals.

If you live in or near Montréal, you can also combine formats. Some families start with an in-person assessment at our Marché Central clinic, then continue therapy online. Others choose online sessions during the school year and come in person for a group program in the summer. Your clinician will help you plan what fits your goals and your schedule.

Getting started

Telepractice is available for assessment and individual therapy.

Call our Marché Central clinic at 514-467-9132 (Monday to Saturday, 8:00 to 19:00), or request an appointment through our contact form. Let us know you are interested in telepractice, and we will take care of the rest.