Speech‐Language Pathologists’ Experiences on Telepractice in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder in India—A Qualitative Study

What is already known on the subject It is known that telepractice is used increasingly to provide speech, language and communication services for a wide range of clients, including children. Recent reports suggest that SLPs in India are using telepractice services for service delivery in children with language impairments, including autism spectrum disorder. What this paper adds to existing knowledge The findings of the present study shed light on the SLPs' views on the use of telepractice in ASD based on their experience. The study also informs about the SLPs' current use of telepractice for service delivery, various clinician and child related factors relevant to telepractice, particularly in children with ASD in India. The results also present the scope of telepractice, challenges and future needs of this service delivery method specific to the Indian context. These findings are the first of their kind, given the increasing use of telepractice for children with ASD in India. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work? The findings of the study offer several implications of telepractice use in the field of speech language pathology. These implications range from providing infrastructure, facilities, standardized tools, dedicated customized applications, training and imparting education for SLPs in telepractice. Findings of the study also highlight the need for further research in this area to advance knowledge and the evidence base.