The Hanen Program for Parents

More Than Words (MTW): More Than Words - The Hanen Program for Parents® is a family-focused program that gives parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and related social communication difficulties, practical tools to help their children communicate. The More Than Words program is geared towards non-verbal communicators. It emphasizes the child's everyday activities as the context for learning to communicate. The program consists of eight two-hour training lectures and three thirty minute video feedback sessions (VFB) spanning 8 consecutive weeks.

It Takes Two to Talk (IT4): It Takes Two to Talk - The Hanen Program for Parents® is a well-known model of family-focused early intervention for young children with expressive and/or receptive language delays. The goal of It Takes Two to Talk is to enable parents to become their child's primary language facilitator, thereby maximizing the child's opportunities for communication development in everyday situations. It Takes Two To Talk is designed for toddlers and preschool-age children with specific language impairment, as well as for children with cognitive and developmental delays under the age of five. The program consists of eight two-hour training lectures and three thirty minute video feedback (VFB) sessions spanning 8 consecutive weeks.

The next program will consist of:

*An 8 week intervention block
*12 total sessions including 8 two-hour group seminar lectures and 3 individual video feedback sessions, and one orientation
*17.5 total hours of training

Orientation Meeting

Come and learn more about The Hanen Program for Parents! To reserve your spot please send an email with your contact information including your name, your child's name and age, your phone number, and the best times to call to: aliciasperrazzaslp@hotmail.com

The next MTW orientation meeting will be held on:

*January 9, 2012 at 6:30 p.m.

The meetings will be held at the Home Clinic of Alicia Sperrazza, M.A. CCC-SLP:

*129 E. Evans St., Orlando, FL 32804

Program Options

The Hanen Program Only

*Parents commit to attend 8 seminar lectures and 3 VFB sessions

*Parents must arrange childcare for their dependents during the seminar

*Flat rate: $500 for 12 sessions...roughly $40/lecture or $28.50/hour

*For the flat rate parents receive 17.5 hours of training over 9 consecutive weeks

Clients with Early Steps as a Pay Source

IMPORTANT: Please disregard the information provided in "Program Options" as this information does not pertain to Early Steps clients.

Child Care: Both parents and members of the immediate family who are communication partners to the child are encouraged to attend the program. CHILDCARE IS NOT PROVIDED DURING THE LECTURES. Appropriate arrangements must be made privately. Children are required only during video feedback and review.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

The Airplane Analogy

So, many times I hear parents expressing concerns about their child by saying things like "My child can't..." or "I don't understand why my child doesn't..." or "What can I do to help my child?" The typical first step?...someone (doctor, teacher, friend, or family) refers the child for treatment of the delayed areas. Individual treatment can typically be received up to a few times per week. Listen, it is not often that you'll be told this, but one to two times per week for 30 to 60 minutes will be a waste of your time and money if you don't have the requisite knowledge to keep the strategies going outside of a therapy session. What I find parents often doing is pouring time and money into educating their child and spending little to no time educating themselves as the child's primary caregiver.

This reminds me of air travel and something I call "The Airplane Analogy." At the beginning of every flight, the flight attendants discuss a variety of safety tips during flight. One particular safety tip stands out to me. If there is a drop in cabin pressure and the oxygen masks come down, you are instructed to place the mask on yourself first and then assist any child accompanying you. Why is this? This is because in a difficult situation, how are you, as the parent, supposed to care for your child if you are incapacitated? Well, this is not dissimilar to what a parent should experience in the presence of an unexplained or daunting diagnosis such as communication delays or autism. In the presence of a difficult situation it is imperative that parents be equipped with the right knowledge before they can help their child. Parent education is vital in any therapeutic circumstance.

The Hanen Program for Parents can and should be used as a parents'/caregivers' first line of defense when the tough questions arise. If you teach yourself the same intervention strategies that the therapists use, your child will need less treatment in the long run since therapy will be an everyday occurrence!