Children With Language Delay

If your child has a language delay, you want to know how to help him develop the best possible language skills. As a parent, you can have an enormous impact on your child’s ability to communicate – but not by getting out the flash cards or by buying computer programs or toys that teach numbers, colours and shapes. Those things don’t help children learn the kind of language they need to communicate with others in everyday life.

To be able to communicate about everyday things, children need to interact with the important people in their lives about these everyday things. It’s as simple as that. Your child’s progress depends on his opportunities to learn how to communicate within enjoyable little “conversations” with you and others - whether your child currently communicates using sounds, gestures, signs or words (or a combination of these).

Is he interested in spiders? Then go outside and look for spiders. Is she happiest when bathing her dolls? Then put water in the sink, and join in and bathe the dolls. Does he like watching dogs chase balls in the park? Then go to the park and have a conversation about that. Your child needs to be encouraged to communicate -without pressure - about the things he enjoys doing, about the things in his world that are interesting or important to him. And he needs to hear simple, repetitive language that provides the words for what he is interested in. This is what Hanen Programs and the Hanen approach help you learn to do.

What Parents Learn through Hanen Programs and Resources

• The different ways their child communicates and her/his stage of communication
• How to turn everyday activities into opportunities for their child to learn to communicate
• The most effective strategies that will help their child learn to communicate
• How to talk so their child can expand her/his understanding of language
• How to play, read and use music with their child to enhance her/his communication development

Hanen Programs for Children with Language Delay

The Hanen Centre has two Programs for Parents of children with language delay. For more information on either program please click on the appropriate link.

Hanen Resources

For more information on any of Hanen’s resources, visit our Online Store