Speech-Language Telepractice in Low-Connectivity Communities

Norimune Kawai

Speech-Language Telepractice in Low-Connectivity Communities

Author(s)	Prof. Norimune Kawai
Country	United States
Abstract	Limited access to speech-language pathology services remains an important concern in geographically remote and resource-constrained communities where specialist availability, travel distance, cost, and unstable internet connectivity may restrict continuity of assessment and intervention. Telepractice can reduce geographical barriers, but conventional high-bandwidth video consultation may itself reproduce inequity when connectivity is intermittent or insufficient for sustained audiovisual interaction. This simulation-based study evaluates a bandwidth-adaptive speech-language telepractice model designed specifically for low-connectivity communities. A hypothetical sample of 160 clients requiring speech-language services was modeled, with 80 receiving conventional video-dependent telepractice and 80 receiving an adaptive hybrid intervention combining low-bandwidth video when feasible, audio-first consultation, downloadable or offline therapeutic materials, asynchronous practice activities, caregiver or local facilitator support, and brief message-based follow-up. Across 240 simulated treatment sessions, the adaptive model produced a mean of 25.7 effective therapeutic minutes within a scheduled 30-minute session compared with 19.7 minutes for video-only telepractice. Completion of at least 80% of planned therapeutic content increased from 54% to 88%, while connection-related session abandonment declined from 18% to 6%. Communication-goal attainment and caregiver-supported home-practice adherence were also modeled as higher under the adaptive approach. Earlier research had already demonstrated the feasibility of low-bandwidth speech-language teletherapy in rural educational environments and the broader potential of telepractice for remote assessment and intervention. The present findings are entirely simulated and should not be interpreted as evidence from a completed clinical trial. They instead support a methodological framework in which telepractice quality is defined by continuity, therapeutic fidelity, accessibility, and clinical appropriateness rather than by uninterrupted high-definition video alone.
Keywords	speech-language pathology; telepractice; low connectivity; rural healthcare; teletherapy; digital health equity; communication disorders; caregiver-mediated intervention
Field	Engineering
Published In	Volume 4, Issue 5, September-October 2023
Published On	2023-09-01

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American Journal of Advanced Multidisciplinary Innovation and Research

A Widely Indexed Open Access Peer Reviewed Multidisciplinary Bi-monthly Scholarly International Journal

Speech-Language Telepractice in Low-Connectivity Communities

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