Program Basis

As a parent, you know how challenging it can be for your child with communication difficulties to interact meaningfully with others and connect with the world around him. The internationally acclaimed Hanen Program, More Than Words teaches parents how to help their children interact and communicate more successfully in their everyday routines.

At TLC, we believe that parents are very important in their children's learning amd growth. By empowering parents with the tools and strategies for language and communication development, we can help the chidlren reach their full communication potential. 

The More Than Words empower you to help your child reach the following three goals:

What You Will Learn?

• How your child communciates and the next steps to take
• How your child learns best
• What motivates your child to communicate
• How to turn everyday activities into opportunities for learning to communicate
• How to use pictures and written words to help your child's understanding
• How to talk so that your child can understand you
• How to develop your child's play skills
• Why your child behaves in certain ways and what you can do about these behaviors
• How to help your child make friends

What The Program Offers?

• Led by an Hanen Certified SLT
• Provides specialized individual classes for you and your child OR personal classes for a small group of parents
• The group sessions start with a pre-program consultation for you and your child with the SLT to identify strengths and weaknesses and set individualised goals. This is followed by eight group informative classes and three individual sessions for you and your child with your SLT 

Tools and Techniques Used

• Structured sessions with easily digestable strategies
• Coaching and guided practice
• Video feedback and self monitoring
• Visual supports and social stories/scripts
• Sensory strategies and support
• Positive reinforcement
• Carryover activities/parent tips
• Parent education and support

Who Can Benefit?

The Hanen "More Than Words" Program is suitable for committed parents, grandparents, helpers or any other carers who are keen to learn and develop life long skills in helping their children communicate more successfully. It is specially catered for parents of children ages 5 and under either on the Autism Spectrum or with Social Communication difficulties.

Children may exhibit some of the following:

• Not saying words or saying single words only
• Using a limited vocabulary
• Not pointing to objects in books. So, if you say, "Show me the cat," he doesn't point to the animal
• Not following simple directions
• Appear not to understand what you are saying
• Does not have eye contact or connect with you
• Not changing or developing his language much from month to month at 2 years old

We believe that all parents and carers desire meaningful social interactions and relationships with their children. It is our goal to provide an environment in which they feel supported and can learn, understand, practice, and provide language stimulation for their children to have a more successful and confident life.