The It Takes Two to Talk Program is designed specifically for parents of young children (birth to 5 years of age) 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 the day.
Speech therapists are trained to accommodate parents’ individual learning styles, their specific needs/goals, and their life experiences to facilitate parents’ application of the strategies taught. The program helps parents with the following:
- Recognizing their child’s stage and style of communication and what motivates her/him to interact
- Identifying their child’s motivations
- Setting communication and language goals (collaboratively with the SLP) and adjusting goals as needed
- Following their child’s lead to facilitate increased participation in extended interactions
- Adjusting everyday and play routines to increase their child’s ability to take turns
- Adding language to interactions to increase expressive and receptive language skills
- Adapting the way they play and read books with their child to facilitate the child’s active participation in the activity, as well as to build language skills
How do I find a Hanen certified speech therapist or ITTT program in my area? You can use the search engine on the Hanen Centre’s website.
Sources: http://www.hanen.org/Programs/For-Parents/It-Takes-Two-to-Talk.aspx