Caregiver-Implemented Hanen Programs^®: A Narrative Review

Area of Science:

• Speech-Language Pathology
• Developmental Psychology
• Family Studies

Background:

• Hanen programs® support caregivers of children with communication needs.
• These programs teach interaction strategies to promote child language development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate peer-reviewed literature on Hanen programs® for children with speech, language, and communication needs.
• Assessed credibility, nature, quality, scope, and outcomes of research.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) protocol.
• Synthesized and evaluated 57 studies meeting inclusion criteria from 196 papers.
• Assessed study credibility, research nature (efficacy/effectiveness), quality, scope, and outcomes.

Main Results:

• Most studies focused on efficacy (57.9%), with fewer on effectiveness (8.8%) or perceived effectiveness (24.6%).
• Research primarily covered two programs (It Takes Two to Talk®, More Than Words®) across 11 countries.
• Evidence supports communication outcomes, but results vary regarding language, interaction, acceptability, feasibility, and maintenance.

Conclusions:

• Evidence supports Hanen programs® in their original format, particularly with middle-class families in Westernized countries.
• Effectiveness studies indicate a need for research on content flexibility and adaptations for diverse populations.
• Future research should focus on optimizing Hanen-based interventions for individual families.