Hanen More Than Words
What You Should Know
We are certified to lead the Hanen More Than Words Program for Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or Social Communication Difficulties. This innovative, evidenced based program has been shown to improve the social interaction skills of children with social communication difficulties.
This program has been used with children with varying delays- from the non-verbal child who refuses to allow you to play with him, to the child who is already using words and sentences. Children do not require a diagnosis of ASD for families to benefit from this program.
How It Works
The program follows Hanen’s copyrighted teaching methodology and various strategies for intervention. Rather than working with the child directly, we work with you as the parent or caregiver to equip YOU with the tools you need to form that connection with your child that helps them develop their communication skills.
Often, children with ASD/social communication difficulties have difficulties using words because their joint attention skills develop in a different way from typically developing children. If a child has difficulties with joint attention, it is going to be difficult for them to learn and say words. To learn more about the research behind this program, click on the button below.
Program Structure
Although the program can be implemented in your one-on-one therapy sessions, it is designed to be a group parent training, with no more than 8 families per group.
Parenting a child with social communication difficulties or communication delays can be lonely when you don’t have others that can relate to you. This program allows you to meet other parents in similar situations and sometimes even gain lifelong friends who can relate to your experiences.
Program Schedule
The whole program is conducted over about 13 weeks, with the following components which can be offered in person or via telepractice:
Pre-program consultation and assessment with you and your child individually
8 personalized parent-only group training sessions about 2.5 hours long where you learn about and practice using different strategies
Weekly individualized homework plans with specific activities and strategies for you to use
3 individual sessions about 1 hour long with you and your child where we practice the strategies we use and provide video feedback to help you see and reflect on how the strategies are working
