It Takes Two to Talk® Guidebook and DVD for Parents

"The Hanen Centre has, once again, done a terrific job of making the information in this newest edition of It Takes Two to Talk accessible to families and professionals, who can rely on the fact that the intervention strategies are based on years of research that support their usefulness in promoting improved communication skills in children with language delays."

Cynthia Cress, Ph.D., CCC-SLP
Associate Professor of Communication Disorders
University of Nebraska-Lincoln

If you're a parent concerned about your child's language development, the It Takes Two to Talk® guidebook and DVD can support you in giving your child the extra help they need.

Designed specifically for parents of children with language delays, It Takes Two to Talk is based on the following important principles:

  • Learning happens naturally - Children learn language best during everyday routines and conversations with the important people in their lives.
  • Parents are their child's most important language teachers.
  • The earlier a child receives the extra help they need, the more their language skills will improve.

With the right skills and strategies, you can transform any moment of your child's life into fun and natural opportunities to build strong language skills.

How does It Takes Two to Talk® Help?

Practical ideas for everyday situations

It Takes Two to Talk makes use of the everyday activities you're already doing with your child to help them learn language. By using It Takes Two to Talk strategies during routines like getting dressed, taking a bath, or having lunch, you'll be making small but important tweaks to the way you interact with your child that will give them extra opportunities and encouragement to use and learn language.

Easy-to-use resources

The It Takes Two to Talk parent guidebook and companion DVD work together to offer you a practical, step-by-step learning experience. The guidebook is available in two formats – as a printed book, and as an ebook which you can use on a Kindle. While the guidebook outlines all the important information and strategies you'll need, the companion DVD allows you to see those strategies in action by watching real-life videos of parents and their children. This makes it easy to “see” what works and what doesn't.

Step 1:
Read Chapter 1: Learn More about Your Child's Communication

In this chapter of the It Takes Two to Talk guidebook, you'll learn more about your child's communication skills and easily “zero in” on your child's stage of communication development. You'll figure out whether your child is a:

  • Discoverer
  • Communicator
  • First Words User
  • Combiner

Once you've identified your child's stage, you'll better understand their current needs and abilities and have an idea of what to expect next.

 
Step 2:
Watch the corresponding chapter on the Companion DVD

This video clip helps parents identify a child at the Communicator Stage.

The It Takes Two to Talk companion DVD shows you real-life video examples of children at each stage of communication development so that you can easily “see” your child on the DVD and identify their stage.

Working through the chapters in a step-by-step fashion, you would read about a strategy in the guidebook, and then watch examples on the DVD of real parents using that strategy with their child.

Evidence-based strategies

The strategies you'll learn from the It Takes Two to Talk resources are drawn from It Takes Two to Talk – The Hanen Program® for Parents of Children with Language Delays. These strategies have been shown in clinical practice to have positive effects on the communication skills development of young children.

Ongoing support

The It Takes Two to Talk guidebook and DVD provide you with ongoing support as your child's language development progresses. As they move from one stage of communication to the next (for example, from a Communicator to a First Words User), you can return to the resources for helpful tips for building your child's language skills at their new stage.

Also consider showing the guidebook to your child's speech-language pathologist so they can help you choose activities to supplement home programming.


          The Hanen Centre has, once again, done a terrific job of making the information in this newest edition of It Takes Two to Talk accessible to families and professionals, who can rely on the fact that the intervention strategies are based on years of research that support their usefulness in promoting improved communication skills in children with language delays.

Cynthia Cress, Ph.D., CCC-SLP
Associate Professor of Communication Disorders
University of Nebraska-Lincoln

 
To learn how you can turn any moment of the day into
rich language-learning opportunities for your child,
order your It Takes Two to Talk resources today.