We want to make sure you get the best possible care, and part of that is a great video call experience. Here are some tips and advice that'll help you have the best experience possible!

What You'll Need

• 💻 Desktop or Laptop
  • This will be needed to join your session! Please note that a phone or iPad cannot be used.
• 🎧 Headphones with a built in microphone
  • This will be used to hear and speak to your provider. While this can also be done through your laptop or desktop, using headphones helps to dampen surrounding sounds and lessen distractions
• 🔉 Headphone splitter
  • Note: this is only needed when multiple students are joining a session from the same computer. You'll need a splitter to ensure both students can connect their headphones to the same device.
• 📹 Document Camera
  • This is only needed when completing certain assessments. If you're unsure if you need one for your session, please feel free to reach out to your provider or Parallel Support for help.
• 🤫 A quiet, private environment
  • All sessions should be done in a quiet environment, but this is especially important for students taking assessments or attending behavioral health sessions.

General Tips

Make sure you’re using a good internet connection.

Move closer to your wireless network point or use a device with a wired connection. Satellite internet connections are not strong enough; switch to a cable network. 

In a room with a lot of people? If possible, to make sure other students aren’t using excessive bandwidth at the same time. You might need to ask them to not use Youtube/Netflix/Twitch while you’re in session.

Using metered internet? Video calls use a lot of bandwidth and we are not responsible for costs incurred on metered internet.

Using headphones helps.

Make sure you can hear your provider. We don’t always have the best quiet areas, so headphones can help block out the noise. Please, don’t join your video call session while walking or driving. 

Charge your device.

Make sure your device is plugged in or that you have a fully charged device, especially if you'll be using that device for multiple sessions in a row. You don’t want to get disconnected in the middle of a session!

Restart your tablet or computer before you start sessions for the day.

Games or programs running in the background will make it hard to have a good video call experience. Please close all your background apps. You can restart your device for the smoothest experience!

Use a device that meets Minimum System Requirements

Before sessions start, it's a good idea to take a look at the system requirements. Use a device and network that meets these requirements. 

Close other tabs.

Close other browsers and all other tabs in order to keep performance high and to make sure that we can access your camera and mic.

Minimum System Requirements

The Parallel video call system was designed with student devices in mind. To keep the smoothest experience, Parallel recommends keeping the device hardware and software up to date as much as possible. Test your device and network on our video call Test Page.

• The device must have a camera, microphone and speakers. You should also have a mouse to participate in Parallel Assessments.
• The internet connection needs to be around 10-15 Mbps for the best experience. You can check your speed here.
• We recommend using Google Chrome on the latest released version. We update our video call experience regularly and use the latest browsers to make that happen.
• We support Windows 10, 11, MacOS Catalina+, iOS Tablets and ChromeOS.
• Your networks should be configured to allow access to the Parallel Platform. Check with your IT administrator to open the required ports if needed. Check that you can connect by running the test page.

What about a phone, iPad, or Kindle?

Parallel’s video call platform does not currently work on an iOS phone, iPad, or Kindle tablet. We suggest a full computer device for best performance.