The Impact of Hanen More Than Words Programme on Parents of Children with ASD in Malaysia
- Author:
Sherin Sokmum
;
Susheel Joginder Singh
;
Sandra Vandort
- Publication Type:Original Articles
- Keywords:
Autism;
Hanen More Than Words;
parent implemented-training program;
Malaysia;
speech language therapy
- From:Malaysian Journal of Health Sciences
2017;15(2):43-51
- CountryMalaysia
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
This study aims to investigate the viability and effectiveness of the Hanen More Than Words (HMTW) programme amongst
parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This quassi-experimental study involved 31 children (27 boys,
4 girls; M = 34.58 months, SD = 3.67) who met criteria for ASD and their parents. The measurement was conducted in
three phases; Time 1 (prior to intervention), Time 2 and Time 3 (at three and five months after the intervention begins).
The outcome measures were assessed based on: (1) changes in parental facilitative strategies; (2) the children’s growth
in vocabulary and (3) the progress of communication and social skills. The paired t-test were used to analyze the pre
and post findings within the intervention and control group with p-value <.01. Results showed that there was an increase
in using the facilitative communication strategies by parents in the HMTW group during parent-child interaction. The
children showed an increased in vocabulary, communication and social skills. The parents agreed that their mastery
of facilitative communication strategies increased and they provided positive feedback about the HMTW approach. The
results suggested that the HMTW program could be implemented well by Malaysian parents. The training was supported
by Malaysian parents and had measurable effect on both parents and children.
