The Effects of COVID-19 on the Service Delivery of Speech and Language Therapy: A Literature Review

The purpose of this thesis was to investigate the effects of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on the service delivery of speech and language therapy services in schools, early intervention, and outpatient settings. This analysis examined various service delivery settings in the realm of speech-language therapy that were affected by COVID-19. Per guidance of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), worldwide governing legislatures, and American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), many measures were put into place throughout the spread of COVID-19. Quarantine, the use of various protective tools, and social distancing interrupted face-to-face services that are essential to speech-language services. For this literature review, research focused specifically on providers and children in early intervention and preschool through second grade. This analysis aims to analyze the differences in the quality of services provided and identify the challenges that arose in service delivery due to the pandemic and its guidelines. In addition, this analysis attempts to explain the importance of face-to-face speech-language therapy services and how they were affected during the outbreak of COVID-19