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 children ages five and under 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 It Takes Two to Talk Program includes:
- 6-8 training sessions for parents in small, personalized groups
- A Hanen Certified speech-language pathologist leading the program
- A pre-program consultation for you and your child with the speech-language pathologist
- Three individual visits for you and your child with the speech-language pathologist in which you are videotaped while practicing strategies to help your child achieve specific communication goals. You and the speech-language pathologist then watch the videotaped interaction to “see” what’s helping your child and what you can modify to help even more.
Why Take the It Takes Two to Talk® Program?
Here are some of the valuable things the program will teach you how to do:
- 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
Here are some more reasons to take the It Takes Two to Talk Program:
►You’ll learn practical strategies you can use in everyday situations
The It Takes Two to Talk Program shows you how to use your natural, day-to-day life with your child to help him develop language skills. You’ll discover how to tweak everyday activities like meal time, story time and bath time to turn them into productive and enjoyable learning opportunities.
The It Takes Two to Talk Program translates the research on early language intervention into concrete strategies that are easy for parents to understand and to put into practice. The program offers you ample opportunity to practice and discuss each strategy you learn so that you’ll be comfortable and confident implementing them at home.
Here’s an example of an It Takes Two to Talk strategy that can be used during any activity to encourage your child to start conversations:
“OWL to Let Your Child Lead”
Observe
Wait
Listen
Research has shown that children learn language best when they are allowed to lead a conversation and communicate about what interests them. The OWL strategy will help you follow your child’s lead so that he’ll be more likely to stay in the interaction with you and get the practice and feedback he needs to build his communication skills.
►You’ll use a companion guidebook you can keep coming back to
The It Takes Two to Talk parent guidebook is used throughout the program to reinforce what you’ve learned and to provide you with fresh new ideas for interacting with your child to improve his skills.
After completing the program, you can keep coming back to this guidebook for ongoing support as your child progresses and new goals are set.
To learn more about It Takes Two to Talk parent resources, and how they may also be used outside of a Hanen Program®, click on the link below:
►You’ll have a chance to connect with other parents
One of the greatest benefits of the It Takes Two to Talk Program is the opportunity it provides to connect with other parents in similar situations. You’ll have the chance to meet people who really understand what you’re feeling and gain valuable insight by listening to their experiences.
►You can feel confident that It Takes Two to Talk® is an evidence-based and reputable program
Like all of Hanen's programs, It Takes Two to Talk was developed by expert speech-language pathologists and is grounded in extensive research. This evidence-based program has been proven in clinical practice to have positive effects on the communication development of young children.
For a detailed research summary and empirical evidence, click on the link below:
What parents say about the It Takes Two to Talk® Program…
The It Takes Two to Talk Program has empowered hundreds of parents around the world to play a key role in helping their child develop language skills. Here’s what one parent told us:
“I have just completed It Takes Two to Talk. What a difference this has made to the quality of life for my little girl. She is more confident and will initiate a conversation and join in activities. Several weeks ago she would not have done so.”
- Patricia, mother of four-year-old Kelly
Learn how every moment you spend with your child can be used to help him learn the language he needs. Click here to find an It Takes Two to Talk Program near you.