Dallas District Turns to PresenceLearning for Speech Language Therapy

  • By Dian Schaffhauser
  • 04/07/20

A Texas school district has signed a contract for online speech language therapy. Dallas Independent School District is using services provided by PresenceLearning to support 515 elementary and secondary students from 30 campuses in the district through "teletherapy."

The company has a network of certified clinicians who work with students via video conferencing. The PresenceLearning platform also integrates assessments, class assignments, games and other activities into the student sessions.

"Due to the nationwide shortage of licensed speech-language pathologists, we needed to find new and innovative ways to ensure our students would receive necessary services and that we, as a district, would meet evaluation timelines," said Kristin Davis, director of districtwide services at Dallas ISD, in a statement. "This is why we are turning to teletherapy as a supplement support to the onsite services we provide. We are very excited to push this initiative forward in partnership with PresenceLearning."

"As our district was looking at teletherapy options, PresenceLearning's proprietary platform really stood out," said Davis. "Being able to securely share data is a priority, so having this functionality was a huge asset and selling point for us in choosing PresenceLearning as our sole teletherapy provider."

According to district spokeswoman Nina Lakhiani, while the district has shut its schools and shifted to remote learning during the pandemic, it's also continuing to use PresenceLearning for assessment and therapy services. District speech therapists are continuing to provide their therapy services using Zoom with their current caseload. PresenceLearning has also offered licenses to the internal therapists to allow them to use their interactive platform for service delivery.

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • horizontal stack of U.S. dollar bills breaking in half

    ED Abruptly Cancels ESSER Funding Extensions

    The Department of Education has moved to close the door on COVID relief funding for schools, declaring that "extending deadlines for COVID-related grants, which are in fact taxpayer funds, years after the COVID pandemic ended is not consistent with the Department’s priorities and thus not a worthwhile exercise of its discretion."

  • illustration of a human head with a glowing neural network in the brain, connected to tech icons on a cool blue-gray background

    Meta Introduces Stand-Alone AI App

    Meta Platforms has launched a stand-alone artificial intelligence app built on its proprietary Llama 4 model, intensifying the competitive race in generative AI alongside OpenAI, Google, Anthropic, and xAI.

  • The AI Show

    Register for Free to Attend the World's Greatest Show for All Things AI in EDU

    The AI Show @ ASU+GSV, held April 5–7, 2025, at the San Diego Convention Center, is a free event designed to help educators, students, and parents navigate AI's role in education. Featuring hands-on workshops, AI-powered networking, live demos from 125+ EdTech exhibitors, and keynote speakers like Colin Kaepernick and Stevie Van Zandt, the event offers practical insights into AI-driven teaching, learning, and career opportunities. Attendees will gain actionable strategies to integrate AI into classrooms while exploring innovations that promote equity, accessibility, and student success.

  • robot waving

    Copilot Updates Aim to Personalize AI

    Microsoft has introduced a range of updates to its Copilot platform, marking a new phase in its effort to deliver what it calls a "true AI companion" that adapts to individual users' needs, preferences and routines.