National Resources

The Hanen Centre’s More Than Words

The Hanen Centre’s More Than Words® program teaches parents how to help their children build social and language skills. It addresses the needs of children up to age 5 who have Autism and other social communication difficulties. Children who benefit range from those who do not yet communicate intentionally to those who have short conversations.

In More Than Words, parents attend eight group training sessions led by a speech-language pathologist.  More Than Words is offered occasionally by public agencies or privately. You can find certified speech-language pathologists in your area on the Hanen.org website.

RDI®

RDI stands for Relationship Development Intervention. RDI®  programs teach parents how to guide their child to seek out and succeed in truly reciprocal relationships, while addressing key core issues such as motivation, communication, emotional regulation, episodic memory, rapid attention-shifting, self-awareness, appraisal, executive functioning, flexible thinking and creative problem solving. 

For more information:

• The RDI Connect website includes a list of therapists by region.

DIR/Floortime

DIR/Floortime is a child-centered, play-based therapy for children with developmental challenges (especially autism) that focuses on emotional and social growth rather than just behavior modification. It stands for Developmental, Individual-differences, and Relationship-based strategies. Floortime refers to interactive time where caregivers get on the floor to follow the child’s lead, strengthening relationships, communication, and cognitive capacities. 

A variety of resources are available through the ICDL website. The site also hosts a directory of certified practitioners. You can search by location, and some DIR therapists are willing to work with families over distances through Skype and email.

Jordan’s Principle

Jordan’s Principle ensures all First Nations children living in Canada can access the products, services and supports they need, when they need them. Funding can help with a wide range of health, social and educational needs, including the unique needs that First Nations Two-Spirit and LGBTQQIA children and youth and those with disabilities may have.A list of potentially eligible services and instructions for application can be found at the Jordan’s Principle website.