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Online with Dr Lauren Crumlish (PhD) Online, Australia wide, with Dr Lauren Crumlish (PhD), Certified Practising Speech Pathologist
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Dr Lauren PhD, Certified Practising Speech Pathologist

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Social Communication

Social Communication Therapy Online, One To One

Social communication therapy online can work, because a video call is itself a conversation and much of a young person's social life already happens on screens. Dr Lauren Crumlish (PhD), Certified Practising Speech Pathologist, works one to one by video with children and teenagers on goals they want, then plans how those skills reach the rest of their week.

  • One to one conversation work, planned around real situations
  • Children and teenagers up to 18, Australia wide
  • Goals set with your child, not for them
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A smiling girl with long brown hair waves at the screen of an open laptop while lying on a bed.

The short answer

Can social communication be worked on by video?

Yes, with one honest limit. Social communication is how we use language with other people: taking turns, reading tone and intent, and sorting out a misunderstanding. A live video call is a real conversation, so these skills can be practised, noticed and talked about as they happen.

What one to one video work cannot give is live practice with a group of peers. That part happens in your child's own world between sessions, planned beforehand and talked through afterwards.

A teenage girl in a pink hoodie looks down at a laptop on her knees while her mother sits beside her on the bed and watches.

On Screen

What Can Be Practised In A Video Session

Goals come from the assessment and from what your child wants to find easier. Social communication work by video can include:

  • Starting, keeping going and ending a conversation

  • Noticing tone of voice, facial expression and what someone means but does not say

  • Spotting a misunderstanding and repairing it

  • Reading and writing messages and group chats, where tone is easy to misread

  • Planning for a situation coming up, such as joining a game or asking a teacher for help

  • Talking through how a real conversation from the week went

How Dr Lauren Works On Social Communication By Video

Goals that belong to your child

Social communication therapy here is not about teaching a child to act like someone else. Dr Lauren sets goals with the young person, such as being understood, keeping a friendship going or saying what they need at school. She assesses, chooses what to work on first, runs each session and checks what is changing. It starts with an online assessment.

Why a screen is not a barrier for this work

For many children and teenagers, friendships carry on through messages, group chats and online games. Speech Pathology Australia notes that reading and writing play a real part in how friends communicate through text messages and social media. On a video call, a moment in the conversation can be paused and talked about straight away, and a message your child chooses to share can be looked at together, with their permission.

How skills are carried into real life

Skills learned in a session matter only if they work at school, at home and with friends. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association notes that therapy should happen in natural settings where possible, and that group sessions are often used alongside one to one work to help skills carry over. Online, that means small tasks for the week, with a parent, or a teacher if your family chooses, noticing how they went, and Dr Lauren reviewing them in the next session. How sessions run from the first call is set out in how online speech therapy works.

Autistic children, teenagers and language

Social communication differences are common in autistic children and teenagers, and some children have them without being autistic. Dr Lauren does not diagnose autism; a paediatrician, psychiatrist or psychologist-led team does. Families of autistic children can read online speech therapy for autistic children. For older students, online speech therapy for teenagers covers how sessions change, and when understanding or building sentences is also hard, see online language therapy.

What the research shows, and when in-person help suits better

Research on speech therapy by video, and its limits, is set out in the research on online speech therapy. Some children do better in a room with the clinician, and the guide to whether online therapy is right for your child lists when.

If this sounds like your child, apply to work with Dr Lauren.

Online Sessions

How Social Communication Sessions Run Online

Every session is by video: 45 minutes of therapy within one hour of service.

  1. An assessment by video

    Dr Lauren looks at how your child uses language with other people, through conversation and tasks on screen, and hears from you about home and school.

  2. Goals agreed together

    Your child helps choose the goals, in their own words where possible.

  3. Sessions one to one

    Your child works with Dr Lauren on screen for 45 minutes of each session.

  4. Practice in real places

    A small task is set for the week, and Dr Lauren reviews how it went and adjusts the plan.

Fees

What Social Communication Sessions Cost

The Mid-Length Assessment is usually the one for social communication. Ongoing therapy is charged per session.

Therapy

Therapy Session

One hour of service: 45 minutes of therapy by video, and 15 minutes of preparation and notes

$193

Every family starts with an assessment

  • $590

    Short Assessment

    Usually for late talkers, stuttering and speech clarity

  • $890

    Mid-Length Assessment

    Usually for school-age language, literacy or social communication

  • $1,290

    Long Assessment

    Usually for both language and literacy in a school-age child

Medicare rebates are available with a doctor's referral, and private health cover may apply. Dr Lauren is not NDIS registered: self-managed and plan-managed participants are welcome. See fees in full

A girl with shoulder-length brown hair looks up and talks to someone off camera while an adult's hand rests on her shoulder.

Questions Parents Ask

Questions About Practising Conversation Online

Can social skills be taught online?

Many social communication skills can be practised by video, because a video call is a live conversation: turn-taking, tone, repairing a misunderstanding and reading messages all work on screen. What a one to one call cannot give is practice with a group of peers, so that is planned into school, home and other everyday settings between sessions.

What does a speech pathologist do for social communication?

A speech pathologist assesses how a child uses language with other people, sets goals with the child and family, and works on the skills that make conversations and friendships easier. Dr Lauren Crumlish works one to one by video and plans practice for the week between sessions.

Does my child need an autism diagnosis?

No. Social communication therapy follows what the assessment shows, not a diagnosis, and some children have social communication difficulties without being autistic. Dr Lauren does not diagnose autism.

Is online social communication therapy suitable for teenagers?

Often, yes. Many teenagers are at ease on a video call, and much of their social life already happens through messages and group chats, which can be worked on directly. Teenagers usually attend their sessions on their own.

Are sessions in a group?

No. Sessions are one to one with Dr Lauren, by video. Practice with peers happens in everyday settings between sessions.

A young person with curly hair and braces, wearing a denim shirt and white headphones around their neck, smiles at the camera while holding eyeglasses in one hand. A young boy in a white shirt smiles while looking to the left. A person with long brown hair wearing a blue shirt stands indoors, with a bright window and shelves with various items in the background.
A child reaches for a pink teddy bear placed on a table next to a rainbow-shaped wooden toy. Framed floral artwork is visible in the background. A person with curly hair smiles while wearing a white t-shirt and headphones. They are seated indoors with a light-colored background. A young girl with long blond hair and a light purple shirt smiles while sitting on a couch, gesturing with her hand. A woman and a young boy sit outside on a blanket. The woman shows the boy an object, and they both focus on it intently. The background is grassy and blurred.
A person with long hair is looking up and laughing outdoors, wearing a black and white striped shirt. Greenery is in the background. A young boy with brown hair and a grey t-shirt smiling while wearing white earphones. A young child wearing a yellow shirt holds a colored pencil above a piece of paper, appearing focused on drawing. Another person's hand is partially visible beside the child. Small toy vehicles, including two larger trucks and two mini cars, are scattered on a textured brown carpet.
A young child with Down syndrome, wearing a striped shirt, sits on a couch, smiling and raising a hand while looking at an open laptop. A young girl with braided hair sits on a couch, smiling at the camera. She is wearing a green shirt and appears relaxed. A man in a white t-shirt is smiling and looking to the side, surrounded by large green leaves.

Work With Dr Lauren

Apply To Work With Dr Lauren Online

Dr Lauren works with a small number of families and has limited availability. Tell us about your child, and our team will review your application.

Apply Now
  • Online, Australia Wide
  • One Clinician, Every Session
  • Children And Teenagers Up To 18
  • Fees Published
Online Speech Therapy

Your child Who would Dr Lauren be working with?

This takes about three minutes. Online Speech Therapy is online only, Australia wide, for children and teenagers up to 18. It starts with an assessment from $590; sessions are $193.