If you follow our social media, then you know that on Wednesdays, we talk about Hanen! A few years ago, Kasey and I had the opportunity to attend the Hanen workshop and became certified to run groups for parent coaching for therapy. It was an amazing experience and I feel we learned so much! One of the first lessons of the trainings was eye opening in discussing communication styles of our kids!
Hanen breaks down the communication styles of kids into 4 groups. From there, we can use those to make appropriate goals for each child we work with. We discuss the styles with parents and also make our plan regarding which strategies will be best for each child as well. This information has been helpful for me as a parent as well to establish what to expect from my own children during conversations and activities.
In this series, we will look at and talk about each of the 4 communication styles in more detail! The communication styles by Hanen are:
These styles look at how children communicate, but more specifically, how they start interactions with others and how they respond when others start interactions with them. These styles are influenced by personality, but also by comfort level in a situation, language ability and overall development.
Keep on the lookout for the next series that discusses these styles more in depth and how to help support your child in situations where they may need it! If you cannot wait for the next few posts, please do not hesitate to reach out to us! We are happy to talk about this and your child specifically!
~Amber