HANEN

The ‘Hanen Approach’ was created to address research indicating that parental involvement is crucial to a child’s intervention program. The approach advocates that the natural environment is the best way for children to learn, providing them with opportunities to communicate with key people in their lives. Parent and caregiver education is a primary focus of the Hanen Approach. During individual sessions, a Hanen-certified speech-language pathologist utilizes It Takes Two to Talk, a Hanen program designed for parents of children with language delays, to build language skills in a one-on-one setting. Therapists model naturalistic language and communication techniques, ask that parents observe and participate in therapy sessions, provide the parents with feedback to improve interactions with their child, and give the parents activities and techniques to use at home.