Researchers at the Cerebral Palsy Alliance Research Institute are conducting the first clinical trial of communication intervention for infants with or at high risk of cerebral palsy (CP) to help answer this important question.
The Early Communication Intervention study investigates whether providing communication support during a baby’s first year of life can help parents better understand and respond to their child’s early communication.
Families who participate will receive parent-infant communication training, learn more about their child’s communication skills and contribute to research that could help shape future communication intervention for babies with CP.
Your child may be eligible if they:
Some children may not be eligible despite meeting these criteria, so families are encouraged to contact the research team to discuss their individual circumstances.
Participating families will complete communication assessments and take part in the It Takes Two to Talk® – The Hanen Program®.
The program includes:
Families will be randomly allocated to receive the It Takes Two to Talk intervention either before their child turns 12 months old or after they turn two.
Importantly, children can continue receiving their usual speech pathology and other therapy throughout the study.
If you would like to receive more information, please SMS ‘I’m interested’ to 0497 674 471 and we will contact you.
The program is designed to help parents incorporate communication strategies naturally into everyday interactions with their child.
One parent described the experience:
“It is a big commitment in terms of time, but soon becomes part of your life. You don’t sit down and ‘do Hanen’, you incorporate it into everyday life. It changed everything.”
Another said:
“We have learned new and wonderful ways to communicate with our daughter, and she with us.”
Early diagnosis of cerebral palsy is creating new opportunities to begin evidence-based interventions much earlier in a child’s development. This study will help researchers understand whether communication intervention should also form part of that early support.
By participating, families will not only learn more about their own child’s communication, but will contribute to evidence that may help guide communication support for babies with CP in the future.
Download the study information flyer here.
For more information or to discuss your child’s eligibility, contact:
Dr Ashleigh Hines
Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Cerebral Palsy Alliance
M: 0497 674 471
E: ahines@cerebralpalsy.org.au
Dr Cathy Morgan
Theme Leader, Early Detection & Intervention, Cerebral Palsy Alliance
M: 0408 205 542
E: cmorgan@cerebralpalsy.org.au
