Monday, January 25, 2010

The next More Than Words® program will begin in on February 10, 2010 and will conclude on June 9.  Sessions will be held at Respite Care on Wednesdays from 12:30- 2:30.  Please contact Elise Tobler at 419-0486 for more information about registration and funding.
 
 

More Than Words – The Hanen Program For Parents of Young Children with ASD ®

 

This program helps children communicate by providing intensive and innovative training programs for the most important people in a child's life - their parents or caregivers. Parents/caregivers spend the greatest amount of time with their children, and have the greatest opportunity to help their children communicate. Given information and strategies, parents/caregivers have many more opportunities to improve their children's social communication skills than are possible through weekly therapy appointments.

 

Specifically, More Than Words®:

·         Gives parents/caregivers the strategies they need to help their child interact, communicate, and improve understanding of language:

·         Combines the benefit of shared interactive group learning with individual guidance and consultation through videotaping and feedback

·         Is led by a speech-language pathologists who is Hanen trained and certified

·         Is supported by excellent print and video resources

 

Participation in this program requires a commitment to attend an orientation and 8 class sessions for parents/caregivers conducted by a Hanen trained and certified speech-language pathologist. In addition to these sessions each family will receive an initial home visit and each child and parent/caregiver will be scheduled for 4 individual sessions, 3 with video feedback.  Families are also contacted for a follow-up meeting 3 months after the program has ended. A commitment to attend all sessions is essential.

 

We believe that parents/caregivers and children with identified communication needs benefit greatly. The More Than Words Program is felt to be an effective intervention approach to address specific social communication needs. More Than Words Program was developed 10 years ago through the Hanen Centre. It translates the most current research on language acquisition and early language intervention into a practical, hands-on approach that is respectful of parents'/caregivers' and children's individual differences..

 

The cost of the More Than Words Program: Very few insurance companies fund intervention programs that focus on parent/caregiver training, or services that do not involve the child directly in the sessions. However, the Scottish Rite Foundation will provide scholarship funding to eligible families enrolled in this program through Children's Speech & Reading Center. The total cost of the More Than Words Program is $1200. This cost covers 20 hours of parent/caregiver group instruction and 4-6 hours of individual home visits, with video-feedback therapy time. Funding assistance for this program may be available.  Funding depends on individual family needs and availability of grant monies.

 

The next More Than Words® program will begin in on February 10, 2010 and will conclude on June 9.  Sessions will be held at Respite Care on Wednesdays from 12:30- 2:30.  Please contact Elise Tobler at 419-0486 for more information about registration and funding.

 

The program will focus on children, ages 2-5 years, who have little or no verbal language, are beginning to use words, do not yet intentionally communicate, are beginning to communicate intentionally, and who interact with parents briefly or in familiar situations, but rarely or never with other children.  This program is not appropriate for parents of children who are using verbal language to consistently communicate or are interacting with peers on their own or with minimal support.  Determination of the appropriateness of program participation for each family will be determined by the Hanen® Speech-Language Pathologist.