The Hanen Parentprogram is an evidence based very practical Therapy program, run by Speech- and Language Therapists (SLT), for parents of young children facing issues in their speech- and language development and/or social communication and play skills.
It consists of:
• 7 groupmeetings/eveningclasses (19.30-22.00) for parents of 6-8 children with alike developmental problems;
• 4 homevisits during daytime, for videocoaching of each participating family individually. The homevisits are meant to give parents the opportunity to practice, with a little help of the SLT/Hanenprogramleader, with their child the communication techniques and -strategies they have been learning during the groupmeetings;
In the Hanen parentprogram parents learn different communication techniques and -strategies, for example how and why to:
• communicate with their child at eyelevel, face to face;
• follow the play or activity of their child (Observe, Wait, Listen);
• imitate their child;
• interprete their child, add nonverbal signs and words to his/her activities and to their own.;
• emphasise words;
• speak in a lower pace;
• expand the sentences and understanding of their child;
• turn play and daily routines in fun language learning activities.
Parents can use those communication techniques and -strategies in daily life to help their child:
• understand communication and interaction;
• focus on interaction, speech and language of people in their neighbourhood;
• imitate and understand nonverbal signs and language;
• use nonverbal signs;
• talk;
• take turns, answer questions;
• play together.
The two variatons of the Hanen Parentprogram we offer are:
• ‘It Takes Two to talk’, for parents of young children that have good developed social communication- and play skills, but hardly any words, nor sentences;
• ‘More Than Words’, for parents of young children that have difficulties in social communication- and play skills, and have hardly developed any, if at all, language.
Together with your Speech- and Language Therapist, you will talk over and decide which program suits your child and you best.
The Hanen Parentprograms are paid for by the Health Insurance Companies.
As we don’t have contracts with every Health Insurance Company, please ask us for information concerning the reimbursement if you are interested in following one of the programs.
To participate the SLT needs a referral letter from your GP or the youth doctor of the GGD, mentioning ‘the child and it’s parents are referred to the Hanen Parentprogram because of a speech- and language developmental delay of the child’