Calling all parents! The Hanen Program focuses on helping parents and other caregivers learn how to support children’s language, literacy, and social skills throughout everyday activities. We, as speech-language pathologists, need you! Did you know that you are the best therapist for your little?! Let me tell you why… YOU are your kiddo’s first teacher, YOU are intrinsically motivated to help your little, YOU are a constant in your child’s everyday environment, YOU can use everyday interactions as a context for learning, and YOU are able to promote generalization of language skills!! (Rakap et al., 2014).
We, as SLP’s, treat your littles for one to two hours of language therapy a week and that likely is not enough. Recruiting and training you to be our partners (or should I say… “parents”) in crime in your kiddos’ language acquisition is essential. And this is exactly why we LOVE the Hanen Program!
Although each program caters to kiddos and families with different needs they all have the same WONDERFUL POSITIVES listed below!
On top of all the positives that the Hanen Programs offer, research has shown that parents in parent-implemented intervention demonstrated improved use of language-facilitating strategies and decreased stress levels. Additionally, it was found that although both parent- and clinician-implemented intervention demonstrate positive child outcomes, parent-implemented intervention had superior outcomes in areas other than expressive language—for example, other language skills such as re (DeVeney et al., 2017).
With all that being said…parents, “Help me help you!” –Jerry McGuire and all the pediatric SLP’s out there.
It’s easy to see Justine’s passion and excitement for pediatric speech pathology. Her love for working with the pediatric population began with a background working as a behavioral therapist and infant stimulation therapist with children with a variety of needs. Justine believes that therapy should be enjoyable, and a place where development and progress are facilitated through fun, engaging and meaningful learning opportunities! When she’s not playing with kids, Justine loves listening/playing/watching live music, traveling, and trying all different kinds of cuisines/restaurants!
NAPA Center is a world-renowned pediatric therapy clinic, offering pediatric therapy for children of all ages in traditional or intensive settings. With six clinic locations and intensive therapy pop-up sessions worldwide, NAPA is committed to helping children lead their happiest, healthiest lives. At NAPA, we take an individualized approach to therapy because we understand that each child is unique with very specific needs. For this reason, no two therapeutic programs are alike. If your child needs our services, we will work closely with you to select the best therapies for them, creating a customized program specific to your child’s needs and your family’s goals. Let your child’s journey begin today by contacting us to learn more.
