Training
About the TalkAbility™ Workshop
This two-day advanced Hanen workshop provides intensive, small-group training to Hanen certified speech-language pathologists/therapists on TalkAbility™ – The Hanen Program® for Parents of Verbal Children on the Autism Spectrum. The TalkAbility program helps parents learn to facilitate their children's development of perspective talking and the ability to talk about what’s going on in the minds of others. These "people skills" enable the children to engage in extended, sophisticated conversations and to develop successful relationships with their peers. Besides presenting the content of the program, the workshop addresses the most current research on social thinking, on which the TalkAbility program is based.
The TalkAbility workshop:
- Addresses intervention for young children (3 – 7 years) with High-Functioning Autism (HFA) or Asperger Syndrome (AS).
- Covers key principles which guide the provision of intervention with this group of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), including information on understanding the children's social thinking skills and on the importance of language in the development of empathy.
- Focuses on the core strategies in the TalkAbility program including learning specific vocabulary to promote social thinking and coaching the child when necessary during play with a peer.
- Equips the speech-language pathologist/therapist to apply the TalkAbility strategies to everyday clinical practice, as well as within a TalkAbility program.
Workshop Objectives
- Identify the structure, format and content of TalkAbility and how this program differs from It Takes Two to Talk® & More Than Words®.
- Teach parents language facilitation strategies that are specifically adapted to the needs of children with ASD.
- Describe the interaction strategies specific to TalkAbility and how to facilitate parents' learning and application of these strategies through use of the 4P Teaching-Learning Cycle.
- Set individual communication goals for children in the TalkAbility program, based on the program content.
- Apply previous knowledge to the TalkAbility video feedback sessions, recognizing how the role of the SLP differs from that in More Than Words.
- Apply the program content to one-to-one therapy sessions.
Workshop Format
Throughout the workshop, SLPs participate in experiential, hands-on activities as the instructor guides them through the process of leading a TalkAbility program. Principles of adult learning and family-centered practice are applied throughout the two days, which include opportunities for participants to apply the information to their own clinical settings.
IMPORTANT: Full attendance and participation in all two days of the workshop is mandatory.
Click here to download the TalkAbility agenda.
Prerequisites
The TalkAbility workshop is open to all Hanen certified speech-language pathologists/therapists who have completed the It Takes Two to Talk and More Than Words Hanen workshops and whose certification is current. It is strongly recommended that:
- Participants have led a More than Words program since completing their More Than Words certification workshop.
- Participants have worked with children with HFA and/or AS.
Workshop Fees & Materials
Included in your workshop fee is the full set of TalkAbility resources:
- TalkAbility guidebook (Sussman, 2006)
- Making Hanen Happen Leaders Guide (Sussman, 2009)
- Program Slides DVD with embedded video clips
Upon Completion of the workshop
Participants are certified to run TalkAbility– The Hanen Program® for Parents of Verbal Children on the Autism Spectrum according to specified guidelines and to use the Hanen name and logo when running these programs. Certification renewal for this program occurs at the same time as It Takes Two to Talk and More Than Words certification renewal (at no extra cost).
Continuing Education Credits
This course is offered for 1.4 CEUs (Advanced Level: Professional Area).
Non-North America/International
Hanen registers all workshops scheduled in Canada and the United States for ASHA CEUs. If Canadian or American participants attending a workshop outside of North America require ASHA credits, please email ceu@hanen.org to contact the ASHA CEU administrator for The Hanen Centre. Requests must be received no later than six weeks prior to start date of the workshop.
Accommodations
Workshop participants are responsible for researching and arranging their own travel and accommodations.
About the Hanen Workshop Instructor
All Hanen workshops are led by a Hanen instructor who has successfully completed rigorous training from The Hanen Centre on how to train other SLPs to run Hanen programs. In addition to leading Hanen workshops for The Hanen Centre, all Hanen instructors are SLPs/SLTs who practice in a variety of settings and lead Hanen programs as part of the clinical services they offer in their respective places of employment.
Non SLPs/SLTs
Currently Hanen's certification workshops are only available for speech-language pathologists/therapists. However, from professional conferences to local community-group meetings, The Hanen Centre's professional staff speaks at a variety of venues throughout the year to increase understanding of how the adults in a young child's life can truly make a difference to the child's language, social and literacy development.
For more information on bringing a presentation to your organization or community please email presentations@hanen.org.