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For many parents and caregivers, the idea of receiving developmental services virtually is new, and sometimes unfamiliar enough to raise questions or hesitation. Trusted providers play an important role in shaping families’ comfort and confidence in the care their child receives.
This article offers clear, evidence-based messages providers can use when discussing virtual developmental services with families. It highlights the advantages of home-based, caregiver-mediated care and outlines what parents can realistically expect from virtual sessions with Ladder Health.
No wait times: The average wait time for in-person developmental care is 6+ months. With Ladder Health, families can schedule an evaluation almost immediately and the median time to first appointment is ten days.
Care delivered in a child’s natural environment: Children and caregivers receive care in the comfort and safety of their own familiar spaces. Families don’t have to drive to visits or take time off work for appointments.
Contextual strategies for caregivers helps integrate therapy into daily routines, allowing families to practice new skills anytime, anywhere—not just during appointments. This ensures that children have the ability to practice new skills where they’ll use them, especially in between appointments, making therapy more effective and meaningful.
Flexible scheduling: Appointments are available at convenient times, including evenings and weekends.
Ongoing support: Parents can message their child’s therapist directly through the platform or access helpful articles and resources anytime.
Collaborative care: Ladder Health works closely with each child’s pediatrician and other healthcare providers to ensure the best possible outcomes, including sharing notes and coordinated care plans.
Ladder Health specializes in supporting very young children (ages 0–6). The team understands that little ones aren’t meant to sit in front of a computer and talk to a therapist—and that’s perfectly okay. Instead, Ladder Health therapists work closely with parents to set up fun, meaningful activities in their natural environment and to help them navigate everyday challenges.
Many sessions happen through play. A therapist might suggest placing a phone or computer on the floor while a parent and child play together on the rug. During play, the therapist acts as an expert coach, providing real-time guidance and modelling effective strategies so caregivers become active partners in their child’s growth and development. For example, if a child has issues getting dressed independently, the therapist will join the caregiver and child as they practice picking out and putting on the child’s real life clothes.
A large body of research shows that developmental therapy delivered virtually can be as effective as in-person care. Ladder Health is happy to provide a list of these studies on request and has highlighted a few segments below;
Studies also show that caregiver-mediated therapy leads to better outcomes. By participating in sessions at home, caregivers are more involved in the therapeutic process and more likely to practice exercises between visits. Ladder Health is happy to provide a list of these studies on request and has highlighted a few segments below;
“Love love LOVE our therapist. We have made more progress in the few months working with her than the 1+ year we had with our previous therapist.”
“It is so convenient for our family! I get to take some of the weight off of my shoulders and allow my husband to be a part of therapy on the weekends.”
“Ease of use and amazing help and insight that actually works! More valuable and productive visits than in person appointments.”
"Amazing experience and the most knowledgeable and kind OT we could ever hope for.”
“My son has special needs and I just had a newborn. My husband is about to go back to work, and I can't take both of them to a clinic. I don't have a stroller that can hold them both.”
“We have to do virtual because I have a lot of illnesses and I need to stay safe."
Parents look to their child’s provider for reassurance and expertise. When you explain that virtual developmental care is effective, research-supported, naturalistic, and easier for families to sustain, many objections dissolve quickly.
Ladder Health’s model is built for the real lives of young children and their caregivers. With flexible scheduling, expert coaching, strong research backing, and collaborative communication with providers, virtual care can be a powerful—and often preferable—path to early intervention.
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