Virtual Therapy at KidsAbility
We're open virtually to help your child realize their goals!
Our sites may be closed right now but our teams are working from home to provide your family and your child with therapy and support services through technology.
KidsAbility has leveraged technology over the years in many ways to help connect families to the support that they have needed and now, that is more important than ever. For some families, you may be very familiar with virtual appointments, but for others, this is quite new. Whether you are a seasoned veteran or you are looking to try this out for the first time, KidsAbility's team is here to help make this a smooth and successful option for your family. As our teams are working from their homes, if you see a "Blocked Caller" on your phone, it may be someone from KidsAbility trying to connect with you from a line that you don't recognize.
We have put together many resources to help you navigate technology as we work together to help your child to realize their goals from the comfort of your own home!
Are virtual appointments right for my child?
Virtual appointments can be a fantastic option to work on many of the same skills at home during this time of isolation during COVID-19. Our teams are reaching out to our current families to determine if virtual appointments are right not just for your child but for you as a caregiver. We know that you have a lot that you are trying to juggle and if you want to take a break from therapy, that’s okay too. We understand that everyone’s situation is unique and when you are ready, we will continue to be here when you need us the most.
What can I expect during a virtual appointment?
Whether your appointment is for a coaching session, counselling or telepractice (virtual therapy), you can still expect the same high-quality, caring, professional and dedicated support from your child's therapist and team that you have come to expect at KidsAbility. A family is the most important member of their child's therapy team and that doesn't change. Just like you would in a traditional in-centre appointment, we will provide the support, guidance and therapeutic professionalism as we work together to help your child work on goals that we have set for them.
What will a virtual appointment look like?
For each child, that will look different depending on what goals and skills we are working on together. However, we have put together a sample video of what a virtual appointment may look like.
Is this method secure and how will you ensure my privacy is protected?
KidsAbility has taken extra steps to make sure that we continue to protect your privacy in keeping with our Privacy Policy. To host our virtual appointments, KidsAbility uses a version of Zoom specifically for healthcare organizations like ours. Although there are two versions of this software on the market, KidsAbility uses the version of Zoom that is compliant with the Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA) that provides encrypted, private and secure video conferencing sessions.
This enhanced version of Zoom eliminates the risks associated with Zoom-bombing that has been prevalent in recent news articles. KidsAbility remains committed to doing everything that we can to ensure your child’s personal health information remains confidential, according to Federal and Provincial legislation. This includes the Ontario Health Care Consent Act, Personal Health Information Protection Act, 2004 (PHIPA), the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), the Canadian Human Rights Code, the Child and Family Services Act and the respective Colleges’ regulations, code of ethics and standards of practice.
How does this work?
If you have used Zoom before, you likely have the app loaded on the device you will be using. If you haven't, before your first telepractice experience you will need to download the Zoom app to your smartphone, laptop, tablet or computer. This should be done prior to signing in for the first time.
Plan to give yourself 15 minutes or so to download the app before your first meeting. If you’ve never used Zoom before, you can find instructions on how to do this through Zoom. To help make your appointment run as smoothly as possible, KidsAbility's team has also put together some resources to help.