father and his kid son reading a book on floor at home

1. For Parents

The Hanen Program : It Takes Two to Talk (www.hanen.org.au)
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.

What’s involved?

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.

During the program we show you how to:

  • 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

Program components

  • 6-8 training sessions for parents in small, personalized groups
  • An ESP Hanen Certified Speech Pathologist leading the program
  • A 60 minute pre-program consultation for you and your child with the speech pathologist
  • Three 60 minute individual visits for you and your child in which you are videotaped while practicing strategies to help your child achieve specific communication goals. We then watch the videotaped interaction to “see” what’s helping your child and what you can modify to help even more.

Benefits of Taking the It Takes Two to Talk® Program

  • 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/her develop language skills. You’ll discover simple things you can do during everyday activities like meal time, story time and bath time to create enjoyable learning opportunities for your child.
  • It Takes Two to Talk translates the research on early language intervention into concrete strategies that are easy for you the parent to understand and to put into practice.
    During the program we offer you many opportunities to practice and discuss each strategy you learn so that you’ll be comfortable and confident using them at home.
  • An evidence-based and reputable program that’s worth your time
    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.
    It Takes Two to Talk requires a significant time commitment from parents in order to ensure the best possible learning experience. Once you’ve completed the program, however, the strategies you’ve learned will become such a natural part of the way you interact with your child that you won’t even notice you’re using them. The commitment you put in now will pay off during every interaction you have with your child.
  • The 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 own experiences using It Takes Two to Talk strategies with their child.

2. For Professionals

ESP provides education and training programs to childcare centres, kindergartens, Maternal Child Health Nurses & schools.

The program content can be is specifically tailored to include one or a combination of the following areas :

  • Communication development, including speech, language, listening, play and pragmatic skills
  • Children’s communication styles
  • Using checklists to evaluate and monitor communication development
  • Setting communication goals
  • One activity, many goals
  • Maximising communication in every day routines
  • Strategies that promote communication development
  • Using technology such as I pads
  • Hearing loss : types, degree, it’s impact on communication development
  • Working with children with Autism, Down syndrome, & Hearing Loss
  • The power of play
  • The magic of music