“Making small changes to how you are with your child each day, can give them social and language skills to last a lifetime.”
The Hanen Centre is a Canadian-based charity that develops programs for parents, especially those with children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and other speaking and socialising challenges.
The programs give you, the parent, the tools you need to help your child communicate better and become more confident.
Hanen’s ‘More Than Words’ program is based on research into how children, especially those with Autism, learn to communicate.
It is easy to understand and put into practice, with tools that teach you how to take the many ordinary interactions you have with your child each day and turn them into special moments where you chat freely, easily and positively.
You’ll discover how daily routines like mealtime, bath-time and story-time can be used to help your child to improve their communication and social skills. And while learning about how you can help your child, you will both be sure to have a whole lot of fun while you’re at it!
In South Australia, the ‘More Than Words’ program is offered through AnglicareSA and our team of Hanen-certified Speech Pathologists. If you and your family are eligible, the program costs will be covered by the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
What you’ll learn
As a parent of the ‘More Than Words’ program, you will be taught many life-changing skills. These will help you to turn every moment with your child into an opportunity to communicate.
Over the 11 weeks of the ‘More Than Words’ program, you will learn:
- How your child communicates
You’ll understand the stage they’re at right now and what next steps you should encourage them to take based on their current language abilities
- How to improve your child’s understanding of language
You’ll be given practical steps to follow to help them make sense of their world and everything in it
- How your child learns best
You’ll understand what works best for them and how you can use this knowledge to help them learn even more
- What motivates your child to communicate
Similarly, you’ll learn how best to use these special moments
- How to turn everyday activities into special moments for learning to communicate
You’ll use simple steps that will interest your child. You will encourage them to share and chat about all those things you do together
- How to help your child understand what you say
You’ll know what language to use and so make conversation between you and your child so much more special and rewarding
- How to develop your child’s play skills
You’ll understand where they’re at and help them to move to the next stage of play
- How to help your child make friends
You’ll open up a whole new world of enjoyment and discovery and help to develop their social skills
You will learn how to give your child social and language skills to last a lifetime, by making small changes to the way you interact with your child each day.
What’s included?
The first step of your journey on the 11-week ‘More Than Words’ program starts the moment you sign up.
- You and your child will be invited to a meeting with one of the AnglicareSA Speech Pathologists who are all Hanen-certified. They will explain the program and how you can get the most out of it.
- You will then be placed with a small group of other parents on the program.
- You and your group will attend eight weekly two-hour informative and personal classes.
- In addition to the group sessions, you and your child will have three one-hour consultations with your AnglicareSA Speech Pathologist. You will share your goals and discuss the strategies you’re using to help your child with their communication.
- During these individual sessions, you will sit down with your AnglicareSA Speech Pathologist to review video footage of you and your child in everyday activities. Together you will identify strategies to enhance the interactions with your child and improve their communication skills.
- You will also discuss what other things you might be able to do to help your child improve their communication skills.
- You will be given support handouts such as the Hanen ‘More Than Words’ Guidebook. This beautiful picture book shares the program’s content in a practical and easy-to-understand format.
- At the end of the program, you will be given an NDIS Final Review Report. The report summarises what you’ve learnt and how you’re using these skills to support your child’s communication.
History of Hanen
The Hanen Centre was founded in Canada in 1975 and is a recognised leader in developing programs that help parents to work with their children to improve their language and social skills.
A growing number of Hanen-certified Speech Pathologists around the world, including Australia, offer programs to parents in group sessions. One-to-one meetings with families are also offered as part of the program.
Over the years, the Hanen team of certified Speech Pathologists has grown to almost 10,000.
The Hanen Centre’s ‘More Than Words’ program was developed by an in-house team of expert Speech-Language Pathologists.
Like all Hanen programs, the idea behind ‘More Than Words’ is that children develop and improve their language skills based on how they interact with others, especially parents and others who care for them.
It is now a program specifically for parents of children with Autism aged five years and under. It teaches them how to encourage their children to become better listeners and talkers. It also helps them to teach their children how to live and play with other children and to feel happy and relaxed in their company.
‘More Than Words’ gives you, as a parent, the skills you need to help your child:
- Improve their social communication skills
- Improve their play skills
- Improve their skills to copy others
Want to know more?
Contact us on 1800 953 001 to discuss upcoming course dates, locations and fees (fee for service or NDIS payment available) or fill out the form below.
