Getting started with telehealth for early intervention: Learning modules

Equipment: Hardware
Privacy and practicing your video conferencing functions

When you click on a link to join a session, your screen has different functions.

Knowing how these functions work is important to protect your privacy and the privacy of others in your household.

Learn how and when to use your functions:

Locate and practice turning on/off your video button. You may want to temporarily turn off your video during a session for privacy, such as if you need to change your child's clothing.

Locate and practicing turning on/off your sound with the “mute” button. You may want to temporarily mute (turn off) your sound during a session, for example you may need to have a private conversation with another family member in your home.

Locate and practice sharing your screen. Some video conferencing platforms let you share a document from your computer (called “screen sharing”), if you press the screen sharing button, the provider will be able to view what is on your computer screen. If you are going to share your screen, make sure to close personal documents that you do not want shared, such as your email.

Locate and practice leaving a call/session. Find where you click to end a video-conferencing call or leave it. This means that you and the provider are no longer connected and they cannot see or hear you and you cannot see or hear them. This is important because if you do not leave a session and just close your computer or click on a different tab, there is a chance that you are still in the video call and that your provider can still see and hear you.

Have a way to indicate you are in a live session. It is important to let other people in your home know when you are in a live session and are connected to a provider to protect their privacy. Some families hang up a sign or a post a note saying “live session in place” or you may have a gesture that you use with other people in your home so they know what they say or do may be heard or seen over the camera.