We’re celebrating 7 million teletherapy sessions since 2009 by highlighting the inspiring leaders and innovators at Presence who are dedicated to building solutions for schools and students with diverse needs.
Colt Stander is Chief Product Officer at Presence, bringing over 15 years of experience building products that serve both consumers and clinicians. A designer at heart with a Harvard MBA, Colt has worked across the health tech space, at companies like Abbott Labs to founding his own startup. Before joining Presence, he led Product, Design, Engineering, and QA at PAX Labs, delivering near medical-grade experiences in a highly regulated space.
What’s your role at Presence?
If you think about Presence as a tech-enabled service provider, my team is behind the tools and systems that make it all possible. That includes everything from the platform we use to deliver therapy—what we call “The Room”—to the technology that helps us scale, like matching thousands of providers to assignments and connecting students to clinicians through referrals. We also power the internal systems that our corporate teams use every day to complete their work.
What motivates you to champion remote services for schools?
At Presence, the work we do makes a real impact on students. Without our technology, many of them wouldn’t get the services that they need. I had an IEP for 6 years and received speech therapy as a kid. I actually still have my IEP documentation! I had an IEP for 6 years. Anyone who knows me knows that I talk more than I should. And you can thank my speech-language pathologist, Dorothy Dulik, for that! She gave me the tools to find my voice, and I’ve never stopped using it.
I’m also driven by the opportunity to combine technology with special education and therapy services. It ensures we can deliver high-quality experiences at scale—something that’s incredibly hard to do without tech. And with the right tools, we can provide consistently great therapy experiences to students, no matter where they are.
7 therapy platform features that power connection and progress
1. Real-time insights that give admin clarity
A solid platform offers meaningful insights into how services are running. It can help answer questions like: Where are students in the onboarding process? Who’s missing sessions? Are we on track with IEP compliance? School leaders need more than data, beyond the dashboard. Ultimately, they need insights that support smarter decisions and stronger leadership.
2. Smarter resource management to help schools maximize impact
When budgets are tight, it’s critical that schools can see exactly where their dollars are going, down to individual students and sites. That kind of visibility helps administration allocate resources more effectively, stretch budgets further, and reach more kids with the support they need.
3. Flexibility and autonomy that support balance and fulfillment
Providers need flexibility to thrive. Thoughtfully designed tools and features support work-life balance. They also give clinicians control over their caseloads by letting them choose assignments that align with their preferences and availability. That autonomy helps students get matched faster and helps providers stay energized and engaged.
4. Automated admin tasks to help lighten the load
Most therapists didn’t join this field to spend hours on scheduling and documentation. A well-designed platform helps automate important daily admin tasks like scheduling and case/observation notes. Which means providers can focus on what really counts: their students.
5. Fully digital assessments that connect more students with qualified clinicians
Paper-based assessments can slow things down. Leading platforms offer digital-first solutions, like the new WJ V battery of assessments that eliminate manual scoring. And let’s be honest, less paperwork can often lead to faster access to services for the students who need them most.
6. Interactive features that boost engagement—and student progress!
At Presence, we work hard to design our Platform in a way that helps clinicians form authentic connections with students. Features like reliable video, two-way whiteboards, interactive games, mood indicators, and shared mouse control help sessions feel engaging and more human. We’ve seen these tools can really help students open up and feel more relaxed with their therapists. Plus, our massive library of games, videos, and interactive activities lets clinicians tailor sessions to the specific interests of students—which clinicians tell us is immensely useful and impactful.
7. Security that benefits students and staff
A reliable therapy platform works quietly in the background, protecting student information and ensuring sessions run smoothly. When technology is consistent and secure, it benefits everyone.
“My biggest hope for the future is that we can use technology to help solve the therapist shortage. That means empowering providers with the tools they need to build careers that are flexible, sustainable, and joyful.”
What does 7 million teletherapy sessions mean to you?
To me, it means Presence knows what great looks like. We’ve worked with so many schools across the country, learning, refining, and bringing together the best practices in special-education related services. And we have an obligation to share what’s working to enable schools to run a world-class special education department.
We’re building an elevated teletherapy experience for students and school staff through our award-winning Platform. And we offer Kanga, our licensed therapy platform, to those looking to empower teams to deliver at that level.
Personally, I am motivated most by helping people. Seven million sessions means that every decision we make, every tweak to the Platform, has a ripple effect. It reaches thousands of students, providers, and educators—that’s what motivates me at the end of the day.
What’s your hope for the future of special education technology?
My biggest hope for the future is that we can use technology to help solve the therapist shortage. That means empowering providers with the tools they need to build careers that are flexible, sustainable, and joyful. There simply aren’t enough providers out there, and at Presence, it’s part of our mission to make their work more efficient and more fulfilling. We empower providers to stay in the field and continue making an impact.
Also, I hope we can accelerate student progress—helping students stay engaged, show up consistently for therapy, and make the most of each session. It’s about giving providers clear insights into how students are tracking toward their goals, and helping them focus on what they love most: work that changes lives. I firmly believe tech can help us get there.
See how teletherapy is making a real difference in special education. Discover the milestones we’ve reached on our way to 7 million sessions.
Stay tuned as we continue to get to know the dedicated team at Presence, committed to diverse learners and the future of education through teletherapy.
