Anyone used THE HANEN PROGRAM for speech and language problems

[bigknickersbigknockers]

SALT has reccomended this program for me to go on for DS who doesnt speak very well. I am not against going to "group" things, I went on 2 positive parenting courses when DS1 was a handfull but this Hanen Program lasts for 12 weeks and I would have to extend DS and DD pre school hours to be able to attend which would be quite expensive. Also they film you (me actually, the parents interacting with DS) which to be honest makes me feel like I am on trial.
I have made the decision not to go on this course because there will be a couple of weeks where I will be unable to go, but just wondered if anyone out there had been on this course or advised to go on this course by their SALT.

I'm a SALT and although I don't use Hanen myself a lot of my colleagues do and a lot of the families i work with have been on it.

Most have found it useful and enjoyed being with other families facing similar situations.

I would really advise you to make every efoert to attend. SALT services are so stretched that this might be all you are offeres.

T, ypou didn't let anyone down.
Noone can predict anything and I think you were quite right to let him be.As it stands you are on the ball, I mean really on the ball and that is fab.
Please don't waste enrgy feeling guilty.

I have just signed up for a Hanen course but I'm not quite sure when it starts - soon I hope as I have heard so many good things about it ! It depends what your son's problem is really, as TC says, some children may pick up over time whereas others will need more help and it can be hard to spot the difference early on.

I would have to travel 10 miles each way and pay for 2 possibly 3 hours extra child care. Its money I dont have to be honest and over 12 weeks it all adds up. I wondered if there are any books to go with the program that I could use

If the course was local I would do it in an instant. The problem lies in getting someone to care for DS and DD OR affording the extra time in nursery/pre school, and also arranging someone to look after all 3 children when schools are closed for holidays. 12 weeks is a long time when you have to travel and juggle child care arrangments.

Bite their hands off - . I've also got the book, Tclanger mentions, (horribly expensive and worth it). The whole tone was enabling parents to help their child. So, it should be really supportive and I'm so envious. Speak to them about the weeks you can't go - that must be a situation they are used to. Then, please, please come back here and tell me all about it.

I went on a Hanen course at a surestart centre for kids at risk of speech delay, it was very helpful, but unfortunately wasn't run by qualified salt but by an EP and a childcare worker , so had its limitations. Am on waiting list (since Nov!) for the It Takes Two to Talk course. Advantage of the course is that it should include some extra SALT visits over and above what you would get normally. I really would make every effort to do it, it's very helpful. If you are daunted by the videoing - if you read the course book first, and put the principles into practice, then you should get everything right anyway iyswim.

i have written a huge msg about Hanen on another thread - will try and find the link.

However in short - of you have the chance - do it!!!! Do it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You are not on trial - it is great to look back at what you did and get feedback and we were given a compiled video of what we had done over the course and it was interesting to see the start and finish.

We had some children who were non verbal - some signed, some used words and sign like our dd and others just vocalised. It is not just about getting them to speak it is about encouraging communication. Hang on - will try and find other msg and cut and paste.

Pipin - We had children with a range of conditions on our course - some with autism. There is actually a separate course developed by Hanen for use with children with autism. I know the parents who had a little lad with autism did the basic course with us but also got hold of the other book. Let me see if I can hunt that down too Pippin.

It is called More than Words Pippin.

short thread here

I can't find it.

I did find it really useful. I was nervous about the videoing but our SALT who did it was so unobtrusive that you soon forgot they were there. It was also helpful to see what others were doing and things that you may be able to use with your child. There really is no feel of being judged with it. It is so helpful for feedback - especially positive stuff.

It is a huge committment but we found it was worth every minute of it. We had a few weeks were others in our group couldn't make it and it was no problem.

I must say we were very lucky as our local disability services were introducing this - we were part of the first group to do it. Another couple and dh and I were unable to get childcare and so they provided it for us. It was a federal govt department so probably money there for it. Is there some way you could perhaps find help with the childcare funding?

Speaking as someone who's new to the whole SLD diagnosis, would you recommend the Hanen "It Takes Two to Talk"? I'm tempted to buy the DVD and book. What I really need at the moment is strategies to help my DD want to play with me and learn. She frequently blanks me out when I try to talk with her at the moment, I think it's just all too stressful for her. Doesn't help that her baby brother is just at the 'can't take your eyes off him for a second' stage of crawling and pulling himself up on the furniture. If anyone has strategies for getting a child to engage in 'floor time', I'd be grateful!

I don't have any suggestions - as the hanen program seemed to emphasise that learning was something that could take place doing anything - from a nappy change, to putting on shoes, getting dressed. The whole premise seemed to be to embed communication in all that you do - prattle away whilst driving - 'oh look a truck.' etc rather than do it at a set sit down time. You know - we did an activity around shoes on and off. looking at sorting out communicating the need for shoes on or off.

If you can follow that. Perhaps make it a game of finding ds, or look ds is crawling, Look! ds is standing etc. Where is ds? - he is there!

I know we found that idea so easy to just communicate - like a running commentary through the day with lots of repetition and simple phrases and words - hence the 'shoes on','shoes off'.

Again it does not need to be about words - if dd1 signed or vocalised shoes on and off - that is fine too.

i can honestly say it really did help dd1 communicate more and it gave us strategies that became second nature to help facilitate her communication skills.

I really did like the idea of making it something of your daily routine rather than a sit down do at a set time for a set time - especially as we had a newborn at the time!!

Oh god I dont know what to do. I think it would help DS as he is talking, but not as well as he should be. There are no obvious underlying issues and he has been seen by paed, ed psych, SENCO etc. I feel sick at the thought of not going and regretting it so will probably go. There was an information meeting last Thursday but I couldnt go as DS1 has broken his arm and we had an appointment at fracture clinic. I also really dont like the thought of being filmed and dont think DS will cooperate in front of a camera (he wont cooperate for the SALT, thats why she has reccomended this course)

Pippin - I was curious at the time to see what was different from the standard Hanen program and the one designed with children with Autism in mind. As I posted - I think the book is called More than Words - might be worth a look for you.

The course is called "It takes two to talk" and the speech therapist feels she isnt making the progress she would like with DS because he doesnt want to play the games she plays to get him to talk. Where as he is happy to play the games HE likes at home and pre school (She goes to pre school occasionally to work with him and offer advice to the staff)
There may be a creche (I would have found this out at the info meeting that I couldnt get to)
The book is £££s so am going to try to borrow it from the library

pipin - i am gobsmacked at how the group was run. I know we had a few children who were non verbal and the idea was to get them to do anything to communicate - vocalise, point, even use their eyes, facial expression whatever. Seems strange the focus on words and set activities - we could chose our activities especially those that were videoed.

I can remember how much our salt stressed it was not about words or getting them to talk but for them to communicate in whatever way they chose.

It does sound as though the person presenting it was focused on words rather than communication. We had one little girl who was totally non verbal and she would respond by banging/tapping the table for one activity - that was her way of communicating.