The Foreign Service Journal, June 2012

J U N E 2 0 1 2 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 77 S CHOOLS S UPPLEMENT that a therapist must be comfortable with the technology he or she uses. Studies so far have found that there is no specific population that will respond particularly well, or poor- ly, to telepractice. I myself once thought it would be impossible to use with very young children, only to find out that early intervention programs are already using it successfully with children from ages 2 through 4. As with any other business transac- tion, be sure that you engage a rep- utable company and have a therapist who is credentialed and qualified. The American Telemedicine Associa- tion is working diligently to establish guidelines and ensure the effective delivery of distance care. But the ATA does not license telepractitioners because telepractice is a method of service delivery, not a profession. Individual therapists are licensed at the state level for their area of prac- tice and, commonly, with their profes- sional associations. Most states make the status of a therapist’s license avail- able to the public online. Tearing Down Barriers Simply put, telepractice is tearing down the barriers between full access and no access for children with special educational needs. Access and afford- ability are what the Internet has brought to us, and I know very few Foreign Service families that aren’t Studies so far have found that there is no specific population that will respond particularly well, or poorly, to telepractice.