The  More Than Words Program was designed for parents of children on the autism spectrum and with other social communication difficulties. Addressing the unique needs of these children, the program provides parents with the tools, strategies and support they need to help their children reach their full communication potential.
More Than Words does this by empowering parents to help your child reach the following three goals:
- Improved social communication and back-and-forth interactions
- Improved play skills
- Improved imitation skills

As a parent and/or caregiver, here are some of the valuable things that are learned when attending the More Than Words Program:
- What motivates your child to communicate
- How to use your knowledge about your child to set appropriate and realistic goals
- How to make interactions with your child last longer
- Tips for using pictures and print to help your child’s understanding
- Strategies for how to talk so that your child understands you
- Strategies for developing your child’s play skills
- Ways to help your child make friends

The More Than Words Program was designed for parents of children on the autism spectrum and with other social communication difficulties. Addressing the unique needs of these children, the program provides parents with the tools, strategies and support they need to help their children reach their full communication potential.

More Than Words does this by empowering parents to help your child reach the following three goals:
1. Improved social communication and back-and-forth interactions
2. Improved play skills
3. Improved imitation skills

As a parent and/or caregiver, here are some of the valuable things that are learned when attending the More Than Words Program:
-What motivates your child to communicate
-How to use your knowledge about your child to set appropriate and realistic goals
-How to make interactions with your child last longer
-Tips for using pictures and print to help your child’s understanding
-Strategies for how to talk so that your child understands you
-Strategies for developing your child’s play skills
-Ways to help your child make friends

The early years are especially crucial for verbal children on the autism spectrum because they still face special communication challenges. Often, these children find it difficult to:
- Have conversations with others
- Play with children their own age
- Talk about things that interest someone else
- Change a routine without becoming frustrated

If you’ve noticed more than one of these difficulties in your child, the TalkAbility Program can help. Specifically designed for parents of verbal children ages 3-7 years and up with social communication difficulties, the TalkAbility Program teaches parents practical ways to help their child learn people skills.

By “people skills”, we mean the ability to “tune in” to the thoughts and feelings of others by paying attention to non-verbal cues such as body language, facial expressions, eye gaze, and tone of voice. The ability to consider other points of view and to have empathy for others is essential for successful conversations and for making friends. Children with social communication difficulties require extra help to develop these skills.

When you take the TalkAbility Program, you’ll learn:
- How your child carries on conversation and the next steps to take to help him have back-and-forth conversations
- How to encourage your child to pay attention to the social messages people send non-verbally
- How to talk so your child can tune in to what others are thinking ; help them appreciate another person<s feelings and point of view
- How to help your child tell stories and play imaginatively
- How to help your child make friends

Program Components
- Informative and personal classes for small groups of parents
- A Hanen Certified speech-language pathologist who leads the program and has received special training from The Hanen Centre
- A pre-program consultation for you and your child with your speech-language pathologist
- Individual video feedback sessions of you interacting with your child, so you can “see” what is helping and what else you can do
- Individual video feedback of your child playing with another child so you can “see” how you help their interaction

"These individual consultations are designed to allow for caregivers the opportunity to discuss 1-2 concerns they have about their child’s speech and language development. Families will meet with a registered Speech-Language Pathologist for a 1:1 consultation, which will last 45-50 minutes and be offered virtually. During the session, strategies and goals will be shared with the caregivers to ensure that they have the knowledge and confidence required to allow them to help their child become a more effective communicator. Topics discussed would be beneficial for children who are not yet using verbal words to communicate, use a limited number of words, communicate with a communication device (i.e. PECS, Proloquo, SnapCore), struggle to produce speech sounds, communicate using incomplete sentences, or have difficulties with social communication and interaction with peers. No matter what the need is, we can help!

At initial contact with the family, discussion about whether the child should be present for a part of the session will take place, should it allow for better caregiver coaching. At the end of each session, families will be provided with strategies and tips that will be helpful to their unique situation, which can be implemented with the child within their daily routines at home!"

As Speech-Language Pathologists, our role is to support the communication development of individuals on the autism spectrum disorder or of those who have social communication difficulties. When working with children, involving parents and caregivers is the key to success. As the therapist applies Hanen’s 4Is to Socialize™ framework, parents and/or caregivers will learn how to use responsive interaction strategies with their child that will foster socialization and ongoing communication development. Sessions will involve both parent/caregiver education and coaching, as well as direct support to the parent/caregiver while interacting with their child who will be present during some sessions.

These individual consultations are designed to allow for caregivers the opportunity to discuss 1-2 concerns they have about their child’s speech and language development. Families will meet with a registered Speech-Language Pathologist for a 1:1 consultation, which will last 45-50 minutes and be offered in-person or virtually. During the session, strategies and goals will be shared with the caregivers to ensure that they have the knowledge and confidence required to allow them to help their child become a more effective communicator. Topics discussed would be beneficial for children who are not yet using verbal words to communicate, use a limited number of words, communicate with a communication device (i.e. PECS, Proloquo, SnapCore), struggle to produce speech sounds, communicate using incomplete sentences, or have difficulties with social communication and interaction with peers. No matter what the need is, we can help!
At initial contact with the family, discussion about whether the child should be present for a part of the session will take place, should it allow for better caregiver coaching. At the end of each session, families will be provided with strategies and tips that will be helpful to their unique situation, which can be implemented with the child within their daily routines at home!

The early years are especially crucial for verbal children on the autism spectrum because they still face special communication challenges. Often, these children find it difficult to:
• Have conversations with others
• Play with children their own age
• Talk about things that interest someone else
• Change a routine without becoming frustrated
If you’ve noticed more than one of these difficulties in your child, the TalkAbility Program can help. Specifically designed for parents of verbal children ages 3-7 years and up with social communication difficulties, the TalkAbility Program teaches parents practical ways to help their child learn people skills.
By “people skills”, we mean the ability to “tune in” to the thoughts and feelings of others by paying attention to non-verbal cues such as body language, facial expressions, eye gaze, and tone of voice. The ability to consider other points of view and to have empathy for others is essential for successful conversations and for making friends. Children with social communication difficulties require extra help to develop these skills.
When you take the TalkAbility Program, you’ll learn:
• How your child carries on conversation and the next steps to take to help him have back-and-forth conversations
• How to encourage your child to pay attention to the social messages people send non-verbally
• How to talk so your child can tune in to what others are thinking ; help them appreciate another person<s feelings and point of view
• How to help your child tell stories and play imaginatively
• How to help your child make friends
Program Components
• Informative and personal classes for small groups of parents
• A Hanen Certified speech-language pathologist who leads the program and has received special training from The Hanen Centre
• A pre-program consultation for you and your child with your speech-language pathologist
• Individual video feedback sessions of you interacting with your child, so you can “see” what is helping and what else you can do
• Individual video feedback of your child playing with another child so you can “see” how you help their interaction

The More Than Words Program is a parent/caregiver training program for early communicators that provides you with the tools, strategies and support you need to help you child reach their full communication potential. Offered within a group setting, and consisting of a mixture of group (parents only) and individual consultations (parent and child), the program empowers parents and caregivers to help their child reach the following three goals:
1. Improved social communication and back-and-forth interactions
2. Improved play skills
3. Improved imitation skills

As a parent and/or caregiver, here are some of the valuable things that are learned when attending the More Than Words Program:
• What motivates your child to communicate
• How to use your knowledge about your child to set appropriate and realistic goals
• How to make interactions with your child last longer
• Tips for using pictures and print to help your child’s understanding
• Strategies for how to talk so that your child understands you
• Strategies for developing your child’s play skills
• Ways to help your child make friends

Hanen’s Talkability program is designed for parents of verbal children between the ages of 3-8, with social communication difficulties, particularly those who find it difficult to:
• Have conversations with others
• Play with children their own age
• Talk about things that interest someone else
• Change a routine without becoming frustrated

This program teaches parents practical ways to help their child learn people skills. By “people skills”, we mean the ability to “tune in” to the thoughts and feelings of others by paying attention to non-verbal cues such as body language, facial expressions, eye gaze, and tone of voice. The ability to consider other points of view and to have empathy for others is essential for successful conversations and for making friends. Children with social communication difficulties require extra help to develop these skills.

When you take the TalkAbility Program, you’ll learn:
• How your child carries on conversation and the next steps to take to help him have back-and-forth conversations
• How to encourage your child to pay attention to the social messages people send non-verbally
• How to talk so your child can tune in to what others are thinking; help them appreciate another person's feelings and point of view
• How to help your child tell stories and play imaginatively
• How to help your child make friends

Speech and Language Individual Consultations are designed to allow for caregivers the opportunity to discuss 1-2 concerns they have about their child’s speech and language development. Families will meet with a registered Speech-Language Pathologist for a total of four 1:1 consultations, which will last 45 minutes each, and be offered in-person or virtually.

During the first consultation session, parents/caregivers will meet with the Speech-Language Pathologist to discuss concerns they have regarding their child’s communication development. At this time, functional strategies and goals will be shared with the caregivers to ensure that they have the knowledge and confidence required to allow them to help their child become a more effective communicator in everyday life. This service is designed for families of children who are not yet using verbal words to communicate, use a limited number of words, communicate with a communication device (i.e. PECS, Proloquo, SnapCore), struggle to produce speech sounds, communicate using incomplete sentences, or have difficulties with social communication and interaction with peers. No matter what the need is, we can help!

The remaining 3 consultation sessions will involve either only the parent, or both parent and child. The Speech-Language Pathologist will guide the parent in implementation of the strategies and goals discussed during the first consultation session.

Speech and Language Individual Consultations are designed to allow for caregivers the opportunity to discuss 1-2 concerns they have about their child’s speech and language development. Families will meet with a registered Speech-Language Pathologist for a total of four 1:1 consultations, which will last 45 minutes each, and be offered in-person or virtually.

During the first consultation session, parents/caregivers will meet with the Speech-Language Pathologist to discuss concerns they have regarding their child’s communication development. At this time, functional strategies and goals will be shared with the caregivers to ensure that they have the knowledge and confidence required to allow them to help their child become a more effective communicator in everyday life. This service is designed for families of children who are not yet using verbal words to communicate, use a limited number of words, communicate with a communication device (i.e. PECS, Proloquo, SnapCore), struggle to produce speech sounds, communicate using incomplete sentences, or have difficulties with social communication and interaction with peers. No matter what the need is, we can help!

The remaining 3 consultation sessions will involve either only the parent, or both parent and child. The Speech-Language Pathologist will guide the parent in implementation of the strategies and goals discussed during the first consultation session.

Speech and Language Individual Consultations are designed to allow for caregivers the opportunity to discuss 1-2 concerns they have about their child’s speech and language development. Families will meet with a registered Speech-Language Pathologist for a total of four 1:1 consultations, which will last 45 minutes each, and be offered in-person or virtually.

During the first consultation session, parents/caregivers will meet with the Speech-Language Pathologist to discuss concerns they have regarding their child’s communication development. At this time, functional strategies and goals will be shared with the caregivers to ensure that they have the knowledge and confidence required to allow them to help their child become a more effective communicator in everyday life. This service is designed for families of children who are not yet using verbal words to communicate, use a limited number of words, communicate with a communication device (i.e. PECS, Proloquo, SnapCore), struggle to produce speech sounds, communicate using incomplete sentences, or have difficulties with social communication and interaction with peers. No matter what the need is, we can help!

The remaining 3 consultation sessions will involve either only the parent, or both parent and child. The Speech-Language Pathologist will guide the parent in implementation of the strategies and goals discussed during the first consultation session.