The Hanen Program® for Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder or Social Communication Difficulties

How to Include Your Child’s Interests

Join in by...
• doing the same thing

• helping him or her do it

• commenting and pointing

• turning it into a game

Then, wait for your child to respond.

Goal: Back-and-forth interaction

Play Your Child’s Way!

© Hanen Early Language Program, 2016

This handout from the More Than Words® Leaders Guide (Sussman, Drake, Lowry & Honeyman, 2016) may not be copied or distributed without written
permission from The Hanen Centre. www.hanen.org
 The Hanen Program® for Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder or Social Communication Difficulties

How to Help Your Child Learn to Imitate

Step 1:
Imitate your child
• First... OWL

• Then... copy what you see and hear

• Comment on your child’s actions, or what he or she said

Step2:
Help your child Imitate you
• If your child is interacting, add something new to the game.

• If your child is not yet interacting, stay at Step 1.

© Hanen Early Language Program, 2016

This handout from the More Than Words® Leaders Guide (Sussman, Drake, Lowry & Honeyman, 2016) may not be copied or distributed without written
permission from The Hanen Centre. www.hanen.org
 The Hanen Program® for Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder or Social Communication Difficulties

How to Intrude
• Get next to your child
• Include Your Child’s Interests
• Insist on joining in (depends on your child’s stage and the activity)
• Make it fun!
At the...
Own Agenda Requester Early Communicator Partner
stage: stage: stage: stage:

• Get in the way • Add something new

• Hide and search • Same toy in a different way
• Keeper of the pieces

Use a new interest

© Hanen Early Language Program, 2016

This handout from the More Than Words® Leaders Guide (Sussman, Drake, Lowry & Honeyman, 2016) may not be copied or distributed without written
permission from The Hanen Centre. www.hanen.org
 The Hanen Program® for Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder or Social Communication Difficulties

Goals in People Play

At the...
Own Agenda Requester Early Communicator Partner
stage: stage: stage: stage:

• Stay and have • Ask for more — • Follow a point • Communicate

fun (shared more advanced to continue the
enjoyment) ways more often • Point to show you conversation
something
• Send intentional • People Play with
messages to ask for • Make comments other children
more

• Become familiar
with the game or
song

© Hanen Early Language Program, 2016

This handout from the More Than Words® Leaders Guide (Sussman, Drake, Lowry & Honeyman, 2016) may not be copied or distributed without written
permission from The Hanen Centre. www.hanen.org
 The Hanen Program® for Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder or Social Communication Difficulties

™ in People Play

Know the goal, get the interaction started

Repeat what you say and do

Later, re-phrase

Offer opportunities to send a message

Cue when you need to

Keep it fun! Keep it going!

Later, keep it changing

© Hanen Early Language Program, 2016

This handout from the More Than Words® Leaders Guide (Sussman, Drake, Lowry & Honeyman, 2016) may not be copied or distributed without written
permission from The Hanen Centre. www.hanen.org
 The Hanen Program® for Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder or Social Communication Difficulties

Choosing People Games by

Sensory Preference
These suggestions were taken from Make Play R.O.C.K.™: Plan for People Play (Sussman & Weitzman). You can find
more ideas in the booklet. Some of these ideas might fit under more than one sensory preference.

Movement
Early People Games Later People Games
Running
Chase: You can chase your child and catch Tag: You and your child take turns being
him with a big hug. “it” — the one to touch or tag the other as
he runs away. When the runner is touched,
it’s his turn to be “it” and do the chasing.

Jumping
Jumping on the bed: Hold your child’s hand Jump on the rocks: Together with your
and encourage him to jump up and down on child, spread some pillows on the floor.
the bed. After a lot of jumping like this, hold Have him pretend he’s a frog, jumping from
your child’s hands down so he can’t jump one pretend rock to another. After a lot of
and wait for him to tell you in some way that repetition, “accidentally” forget to put the
he wants to jump. pillows out and wait for your child to tell
you about your mistake.

© Hanen Early Language Program, 2016

This handout from the More Than Words® Leaders Guide (Sussman, Drake, Lowry & Honeyman, 2016) may not be copied or distributed without written
permission from The Hanen Centre. www.hanen.org
Choosing People Games by Sensory Preference (continued)
Early People Games Later People Games
Rocking
Blanket swing: You and another adult Airplane ride: This is played just like blanket
spread a blanket on the floor. Have your child swing, except have your child pretend he’s
lie down on the blanket. With the adults getting into an airplane when he lies on the
holding on to the corners of the blanket, blanket. Start the engine (with a pretend
swing your children from side to side. Do this push on the pretend button), saying “Turn
many times and then wait before swinging so on the engine,” and then swing the “plane”
your child can tell you in some way to swing from side to side. Have your child choose if
him again. the plane will fly high or low in the sky, or
fast or slow. The possibilities for him to talk
about the plane ride are endless.

Spinning
Chair-go-round: Sit your child on an office Duck, Duck, Goose: You’ll need at least
chair that spins and take him for a “spin.” two others besides you and your child to
After a while, stop the spinning and wait for play this game. Sit in a circle. One child is
him to ask for more. the first to be the running “duck” as he goes
by. The running duck taps someone on the
head and says “duck” as he goes by. Then,
whenever he wants, says “goose” instead of
“duck.” The “goose” must get up and chase
the duck around the circle. The duck has
to try and run around the circle and sit in
the goose’s spot. If the duck gets the goose’s
spot, then the goose becomes the new
running duck.

Throwing
Beanbag toss: Your child throws beanbags into a basket. After a while, try to fit in a turn
for yourself. That might mean being a little pushy and stepping in front of your child and
quickly throwing your bag in the basket. Later on, your child could let you know that it’s your
turn with an action, looking at you or telling you.

© Hanen Early Language Program, 2016

This handout from the More Than Words® Leaders Guide (Sussman, Drake, Lowry & Honeyman, 2016) may not be copied or distributed without written
permission from The Hanen Centre. www.hanen.org
Choosing People Games by Sensory Preference (continued)

Touch
Early People Games Later People Games
Blanket roll: Have your child lie down on a Caterpillar roll: This is played just like
blanket and then roll him up, pushing him blanket roll, except you can have your child
along the floor. Stop rolling him and then pretend he’s a caterpillar in a cocoon.
say, “Go!” right before you roll him a few
feet further. After repeating the game many
times, when you stop the rolling, wait for
your child to tell you to go.

Sound
Early songs Later songs
Some suggestions: “The Eensy Weensy Some suggestions: “Old MacDonald Had a
Spider,” “Head and Shoulders,” “The Hokey Farm,” “If You’re Happy and You
Pokey,” “The Wheels on the Bus,” make up Know It,” “This is
your own song the Way We
Wash Our Hands,”
make up your own
song

Sight
Early People Games Later People Games
Water tap time: Make a game out of turning Walk the line: Let your child help you arrange
the tap on and off. Your child can watch a short rope or string around the floor. Then
either a lot of water come out of the spout have your child walk on the line as you add
or just a little bit. Maybe he likes to put his more string lines to the first one. Get your
hands under the water. Once he’s enjoying child to the place on the line where he wants
himself, don’t turn the water on and wait you to add another string track. Vary this game
for him to let you know that he wants you to by wiggling the rope a bit as he tries to step
start it flowing again. on it. That’s guaranteed to get some kind of
reaction from him — words, laughter, etc.

© Hanen Early Language Program, 2016

This handout from the More Than Words® Leaders Guide (Sussman, Drake, Lowry & Honeyman, 2016) may not be copied or distributed without written
permission from The Hanen Centre. www.hanen.org