Hanen Programs^®

We offer the following Hanen Programs year round.  Our programs may be funded by Golden Gate Regional Center (for children under three).

More Than Words^® — The Hanen Program for Parents of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder or Social Communication Difficulties

The More Than Words Program was designed specifically for parents of children ages 5 and under on the autism spectrum and with other social communication difficulties. Addressing the unique needs of these children, the program provides parents with the tools, strategies and support they need to help their children reach their full communication potential.

More Than Words does this by empowering you to help your child reach the following three goals:

1. Improved social communication and back-and-forth interactions
2. Improved play skills
3. Improved imitation skills

Here are some of the valuable things you’ll learn when you attend the More Than Words Program:

• What motivates your child to communicate
• How to use your knowledge about your child to set appropriate and realistic goals
• How to make interactions with your child last longer
• Tips for using pictures and print to help your child’s understanding
• Strategies for how to talk so that your child understands you
• Strategies for developing your child’s play skills
• Ways to help your child make friends

It Takes Two to Talk^® — The Hanen Program for Parents of Children with Language Delays

The It Takes Two to Talk Program is designed specifically for parents of young children (birth to 5 years of age) who have been identified as having a language delay. In a small, personalized group setting, parents learn practical strategies to help their children learn language naturally throughout their day together.

The It Takes Two to Talk Program teaches you, step-by-step, how to become your child’s most important language teacher. The program shows you how to:

• Recognize your child’s stage and style of communication so that you know which steps to take next
• Identify what motivates your child to interact with you so you’ll know how to get conversations started
• Adjust everyday routines to help your child take turns and keep interactions going
• Follow your child’s lead to build his confidence and encourage him to communicate
• Add language to interactions with your child to help him understand language and then use it when he is ready
• Tweak the way you play and read books with your child to help him learn language
• Change the way you speak to your child so that he’ll understand and learn new words

More Than Words Parent Feedback

“More Than Words made everything come together for me. We had the opportunity to learn from Claire and learn from other families.  Claire was extremely helpful in helping me identify missed moments of communication attempts.”

“Claire did a fantastic job of pointing out important key communication moments that I had been missing.”

“Because of this program I have learned how to incorporate many different language strategies into the play session’s with my child.“

It Takes Two to Talk Parent Feedback

“It Takes Two To Talk was the perfect accompaniment to my daughter’s speech therapy. Our nanny was often the one who brought her to her speech sessions so my wife and I thought decided to enroll in this class. We left feeling so empowered and are confident that we would not have been able to support our daughter language needs without this program. Thank you!!”

-Stephen & Diana, parents to Sarah (26 months)

“My son was a late-talker and this program gave me the tools to help along my son’s language development. Now when we play I catch myself using all of the tips that I learned from group. It’s fun to see them work!! he is so much less frustrated.”

-Theresa, mother to Kai (age 3)