Sudbury-Manitoulin

Sudbury

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

Starting: Friday, July 5th, 2024
Ending: Friday, September 13, 2024

Sessions will take place on Friday mornings from 9:30am - 12:00pm.

Sudbury-Manitoulin

Online. In person option exists in North Bay.

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

Thursday, September 5th, 2024

This program consists of eight group sessions with five individual consultations.

Sudbury-Manitoulin

Online or in-person at 1191 Lansing Ave., Unit 1, Sudbury ON P3A 4C4

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.

Dates and Times:
September 1st, 2024 (1 session available)
September 2nd, 2024 (1 session available)
October 2nd, 2024 (1 session available)

Once a family signs up, the agency will contact the family and book their four consultations at a time that works for both the agency and the family. Sessions will be made available between the hours of 9:00am - 3:00pm, Monday through Friday.