Parent coaching and Hanen programs

What it is

Children learn to communicate through thousands of everyday moments with the people who care for them. A weekly session with a speech-language pathologist matters, but it is a small part of a child’s week. Parent coaching helps you use specific, proven strategies during the moments you already share: meals, bath time, play, getting dressed and bedtime.

Research suggests that when caregivers learn these strategies and use them daily, many young children make meaningful gains in communication. That is why coaching is part of almost every plan for young children at VoxLingue.

The Hanen programs

Many of our approaches draw on the work of the Hanen Centre, a Canadian not-for-profit organization. Hanen programs teach parents and educators how to turn ordinary interactions into opportunities for communication. Some of our clinicians are certified to lead these programs:

• It Takes Two to Talk is for parents of young children with language delays. It focuses on following the child’s lead, taking turns and adding language during daily routines.
• More Than Words is for parents of young autistic children and children with social communication difficulties. It helps parents build connection, shared attention and interaction into play and routines.
• Learning Language and Loving It is for early childhood educators. It helps them support language and social development in a group or classroom setting.

Who we see

• Parents of toddlers who are talking later than expected
• Parents of young autistic children, or children whose social communication you have questions about
• Families already in therapy who want to extend the work into daily life
• Families on a waitlist elsewhere who want to start helping now
• Grandparents, nannies and other caregivers who spend a lot of time with a child
• Early childhood educators who want to support language in their groups

How we assess it

Coaching starts with understanding your child. For most families, that means a speech-language assessment that looks at how your child understands, communicates and plays, in all of the languages they hear.

We also want to understand your family. We will ask about your routines, what your child enjoys, what a typical day looks like, and what feels hard right now. We often watch you and your child play together, either in the clinic or by video. This is not a test of your parenting. It shows us what is already working, so we can build on it.

How therapy works at VoxLingue

Coaching is built into how we work with young children. Depending on your child and your family, it can take a few forms.

Coaching within individual sessions

You take part in the session. Your clinician demonstrates a strategy with your child, explains why it helps, and then supports you as you try it. You leave with one or two clear things to practise that week.

Focused parent coaching

Some sessions are mainly for you. We review short videos of you and your child at home, talk about what went well, and plan the next step. Video feedback is a central part of the Hanen approach because it lets you see your child’s responses that are easy to miss in the moment.

Hanen programs

When a full Hanen program is offered, it usually combines group sessions for parents with individual visits where your clinician coaches you with your child. Program availability and dates vary. Ask us when you call, and we will tell you what is currently offered.

Strategies you may learn

• Observe, wait and listen: giving your child time to start the interaction
• Follow your child’s lead: joining in what interests them
• Take turns: keeping a back-and-forth going with sounds, gestures or words
• Add language: saying a little more than your child says, without pressure to repeat
• Use routines: repeating predictable steps so your child can anticipate and join in

Your role at home

In parent coaching, your role is the heart of the work. You do not need extra time or special toys. The goal is to use the strategies during moments you already have.

Most families start with one routine, such as breakfast or bath time, and one strategy. Once it feels natural, you add another. We will also help you notice small signs of progress, such as a new gesture, a longer turn or a first word, so you can see the change as it happens.

Bilingual and multilingual families

Hanen strategies work in any language. You do not need to switch to English or French for coaching to be useful. Children benefit most from rich, warm interaction in the language or languages their parents are most comfortable using. Research does not support dropping a home language to help a child with a language delay.

Hanen guidebooks are available in several languages, and our clinicians speak English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, Greek and Armenian. We will try to match you with a clinician who can coach you in your language. Availability varies.

In person or by telepractice

We offer coaching in person at our Marché Central clinic in Montréal, or by telepractice anywhere in Quebec and Ontario. Coaching works especially well by video, because your clinician sees your child at home, with your own routines, toys and family members. Many families find this the most practical option.

Getting started

You do not need a physician’s referral. Call our Marché Central clinic at 514-467-9132, or request an appointment through our contact form. Tell us your child’s age, the languages you speak at home and what you have noticed, and we will suggest a first step. We provide receipts for private insurance.