Hanen Approach
What Is The Hanen Approach?
Parents, if the Hanen Approach sounds like gibberish to you, we at ONE Intervention are here to help. Sit back, relax, and let us tell you all about it.
Put simply, the Hanen Approach is an early intervention strategy that emphasises the active role of the parents in teaching the child communication skills. It’s used to facilitate verbal communication, specifically, in order to promote social interaction and learning.
The Approach is backed by experts and specifically designed to aid parents of children with autism, although it can be quite flexible. By empowering parents and caregivers, the Hanen Approach enables children with autism to develop their social communication skills.
Let’s break this down further, shall we?
What Are The 5 Key Principles of the Hanen Approach?
Modelling
Through everyday interactions, parents model clear and natural speech patterns for their children to imitate. For example, if a child reaches for a cookie, the parent will gesture and say the word ‘cookie’, then encourage the child to repeat the word.
Over time, the child will come to associate the word with the object and learn how to verbally communicate their wants. This provides a solid foundation for their language skills.
Wait Time
The parent will deliberately create space after asking questions or giving instructions. Following the earlier example, the parent will prompt the child to repeat their model – “It’s a…?” and wait 10 – 20 seconds for the child to answer.
The Hanen Approach works best with short phrases and lots of repetition for the child to process, copy and eventually understand how to express their needs and wants verbally.
Positive Reinforcement
The Hanen Approach emphasises the idea of positive reinforcement, where each of the child’s communication attempts are praised. This is done regardless of how ‘correct’ each attempt is.
Such encouragement is meant to build up the child’s confidence and thus reinforce the idea that verbal communication is desirable. Therefore, the child will continue to express themselves verbally in the future.
Following The Child’s Lead
The Hanen Approach is effective because it draws directly from the child’s natural interests. By engaging in topics and activities that the child likes, the Approach relies on the child’s intrinsic motivation.
This makes learning enjoyable for the child and provides opportunities for natural language practice. Hence, the child is able to learn at a pace that is comfortable and fun for them.
Social Play
The Hanen Approach gives ample room for social interaction between the child and their peers. This allows them to practice verbal communication in a controlled, interactive environment.
Plus, it’s just fun! Children will be children and playing with their friends is a key part of their social, emotional and even mental development.
What Are The Benefits Of The Hanen Approach?
Improved Language Skills
The main aim of the approach is to facilitate and improve the child’s verbal communication. The consistent support and practice in the Hanen Approach ensures that the child develops a more diverse:
- Vocabulary
- Sentence structure
- Overall communication skillset
Enhanced Social Interactions
The Approach strengthens the child’s verbal communication so they can more effectively express themselves. Hence, they are able to connect with others and build meaningful relationships.
This is facilitated by the emphasis on social play between the child and their peers, which gives them a support network outside of just their parents and caregivers.
Increased Confidence
Successful communication enables the child to fulfil their needs and wants independently. This is greatly beneficial for their self-esteem and confidence.
Therefore, the Hanen Approach encourages the child to seek out and sustain even more social interactions. This is a positive feedback cycle resulting in the child making more friends, further honing their verbal communication, and becoming even more confident.
Stronger Parent-Child Bond
The hallmark of the Hanen Approach is the collaboration between parents and therapists to improve the child’s verbal communication. This fosters a supportive, nurturing environment not just at the development centre, but also at home.
So, the child benefits from a holistic support network at all times. Through learning from their parent’s modelling, they can grow closer with their family.
Too Long, Didn’t Read? Here’s The Summary!
The Hanen Approach is essentially a strategy that emphasises active parental support in teaching a child verbal communication. However, its benefits are far more than just the tangible improved language skills.
The Approach aims to empower children to become effective communicators, thus giving them the agency to speak for themselves.
Want more? Don’t worry, we’ve got you!
🔗 Modelling Language | Gold Coast Health for a more in-depth explanation on the modelling used in the Hanen Approach,
🔗 Positive Reinforcement in Psychology (Definition + Examples) for a deep dive into the positive reinforcement mentioned in the Approach, and
🔗The Hanen Centre for even more resources about the Approach!
And for even more information about the other learning strategies that ONE uses, click here now!
Final Thoughts
Have questions about the Hanen Approach? Want to share your experiences? Contact us here now! 💬
