Congratulations to Sarah Bartlett on all she has achieved during year 2 of her PhD journey during 2025. Dr Carolyn Gregoric and I had our final supervisory meeting with Sarah for the year today. Recently, Sarah has had a journal article accepted in the American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology and she has had a paper accepted for presentation at the Speech Pathology Australia National Conference. I'm looking forward to working with her in her final year of her PhD in 2026.
Congratulations to Sarah Bartlett who has had her first journal article accepted for publication from her PhD:
Bartlett, S. & McLeod, S. (2025, in press December). Caregiver-implemented Hanen® programs: A narrative review of programs for children with speech, language and communication needs. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology
Here is the abstract:
Purpose: Hanen® programs have been used by clinicians to support caregivers of young children with communication needs to learn optimal ways to respond in everyday interactions and facilitate child-oriented strategies that promote interaction and language. This review aimed to evaluate peer-reviewed literature regarding Hanen® programs for children with speech, language, and communication needs regarding the credibility, nature, quality, scope of the research, and outcomes of the research findings.
Method: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) protocol was used. Of 196 papers documenting Hanen® interventions, 57 papers met inclusion criteria. Studies were synthesized and evaluated to rate (a) credibility/ levels of evidence, (b) nature of existing research: efficacy, effectiveness, and perceived effectiveness, (c) quality of the studies, (d) scope of evidence, and (e) outcomes for each Hanen® program for children with speech, language, and communication needs.
Results: Credibility: Studies of Hanen® programs were reviews (7%), randomized controlled trials (17.5%), non-randomized controlled trials and mixed methods (31.6%), case-control or cohort studies (26.3%), qualitative reviews (1.8%) or employed qualitative methods (15.7%). Nature: The majority were efficacy studies (57.9%), others were perceived effectiveness (24.6%), and effectiveness studies (8.8%). Quality: Few studies were rated as high quality. Scope: Most studies related to two Hanen® programs (It Takes Two To Talk® and More Than Words®) conducted across eleven countries (Canada, USA, Spain, Turkey, Republic of Ireland, The Netherlands, United Kingdom, Australia, Hong-Kong, Singapore, Malaysia), and a few studies evaluated adaptations of Hanen® programs (e.g., telehealth). The studies reported on dyad interactions; child language, behavior, and autism; and caregiver perceptions, stress, and self-efficacy. Outcomes: Evidence supporting significant communication outcomes for different programs exists; however mixed results demonstrate a variety of language, interaction, acceptability, feasibility, and maintenance outcomes.
Conclusions: A range of evidence supports the use of Hanen® programs in its original format, with acceptability reported by families from target communities (e.g., middle class families) and educators (e.g., westernized countries). Effectiveness studies in real world contexts conclude that future research could evaluate content flexibility and adaptations to meet a diversity of families and communities. A precision family initiative (PFI) has been suggested to shift future research from does Hanen® work, to how can Hanen®-based intervention optimize outcomes for individual families.
This week I have met with my PhD students - Sarah Bartlett (co-supervised with Carolyn Gregoric) and Holly McAlister (co-supervised with Suzanne Hopf who is the primary supervisor). They are both undertaking important work that changes the lives of children in Australia and Fiji.
Sarah has just completed an intensive period of data collection over three different sites/cities where families of toddlers received 16-weeks of intervention. She is excited about the findings - including what goes unsaid, is missing, hesitant and uncomfortable data - that may be captured in a post qualitative analysis.
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| Sarah, Sharynne and Carolyn |
At the moment Holly is undertaking data analysis with a team of speech pathologists from Fiji and writing an invited chapter about diagnosis of speech sound disorder in children across the world.
I am also working with Holly as guest editor of a special issue of Child Language Teaching and Therapy. We have had over 20 articles submitted for the special issue! This activity has been very valuable for the Children's Voices Centre since 17 CVC affiliates have submitted 5 papers and 8 CVC affiliates have reviewed papers.
PhD students undertake important work.
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| Holly, Sharynne and Suzanne |
Sarah Bartlett has been working hard running Hanen language groups with three groups of children and families in Sydney and the Central West. This week the data collection finishes. She has worked so well with the families - and it was a pleasure to discuss their gains during her PhD meeting today.
The Speech Pathology Australia National Conference (https://www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au/Public/Public/CPD-events/SPA-conference/2025/Home.aspx) is in Adelaide 13-15 June 2025. I am unable to attend as I am going to Greece. Sarah Bartlett and Suzanne Hopf are attending. Here are our papers:
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| Jamie Newman and Sarah Bartlett presenting our paper at SPA 2025 |
Emily-Jane Woodhead has been a fantastic research assistant on our Rural Health Research Institute project over the past 18 months. Today was my last official day working with her in Bathurst. Although she still has a few weeks' work before the end of the project, I head to Greece tomorrow.
Thank you so much Emily-Jane for your unwavering commitment to the project and your gentle insightful way of working with all of the stakeholders. We have had a lot of fun, worked through a lot of challenges and have made an impact on children's lives. Thank you!
Congratulations Sarah Bartlett on passing your PhD endorsement requirements. It is exciting that you are able to finalise your ethics application then start data collection. Sarah's PhD title is: "Implications of Caregiver-implemented Intervention for Underserved Communities".
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| Sarah celebrating with her supervisors - Sharynne and Carolyn Gregoric |
Congratulations to Sarah Bartlett on her published paper from her Graduate Certificate that set the stage for her PhD research
Bartlett, S., & McLeod, S. (2025). Caregivers’ insights into supporting their late talkers using a Hanen® parent program. International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/17549507.2024.2438103
Here is the abstract
Purpose
To explore caregivers’ experiences and engagement during the 16-week Target Word™ Hanen® program for parents designed to support late talkers.
Method
Qualitative interpretative description methodology was used to understand the experience of five caregivers who had completed Target Word™ to support their children (aged 18-36 months). Caregivers attended a focus group to share their perspectives. Transcripts of these focus groups were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.
Result
Two themes were identified regarding caregiver engagement during Target Word™ intervention. Firstly, caregivers described explicit support roles for speech-language pathologists: (a) Beginning phase (clarify expectations), (b) middle phase (enable caregiver to link changes in their behaviour to positive child outcomes), and (c) final phase (empowered caregivers). Secondly, caregiver engagement is influenced by: (a) Individual needs and expectations, (b) active engagement during key learning moments, and (c) influence of the broader environment.
Conclusion
Each caregiver participating in Target Word™ experienced unique engagement journeys over the course of the program. Speech-language pathologists can explicitly facilitate engagement at each phase of Target Word™ to promote active engagement for learning and ultimately caregiver empowerment to support their children’s language growth.
Congratulations Sarah Bartlett - whose manuscript from her Graduate Certificate has just been accepted for publication in the International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology.
Here are the details: Bartlett, S. & McLeod, S. (2024, in press). Caregivers’ insights into supporting their late talkers using Target Word™ Hanen® Parent Program. International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology.
Here is the abstract:
Purpose. To explore caregivers’ experiences and engagement during the 16-week Target Word™ Hanen Program® for Parents program designed to support late talkers.
Method. Qualitative interpretative description (ID) methodology was used to understand the experience of five caregivers who had completed Target Word™ to support their children (aged 18-36 months). Caregivers attended a focus group to share their perspectives. Transcripts of these focus groups were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.
Result. Two themes were identified. Firstly, that caregivers described explicit roles for speech-language pathologists (SLPs) to support their engagement over time: in the beginning (clarify expectations), middle (enable caregiver to link changes in their behaviour to positive child outcomes) and final (empowered caregivers) phases of the intervention. Secondly, that caregiver engagement in learning is individual, influenced by (a) individual needs and expectations, (b) active engagement during key learning moments, (c) influence of the broader environment.
Conclusion. Each caregiver participating in Target Word™ experienced unique engagement journeys over the course of the program. SLPs can explicitly facilitate engagement at each phase of Target Word™ to promote active engagement for learning and ultimately caregiver empowerment to support their children’s language growth.
Here is a photo of Sarah and I wearing our academic gowns this week. CSU changed their graduation dates in 2024 - and I was unavailable on the new dates. It was great to celebrate Sarah's graduation and accomplishments in Bathurst.
Our team is in Perth this week for the Speech Pathology Australia National Conference. Here are our presentations:
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| Sharynne presenting Cathie Matthews' research |
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| SLM team at SPA2024 - Sarah F, Kate M, Sharynne, Sarah B, Emily-Jane |
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| Sarah Faulks presenting her honours research |
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| Sarah Bartlett |
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| Kate Margetson introducing the SACHL |
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| Some attendees at the IALP session |
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| IALP president Brian Shulman, Emily Hunt, Sharynne McLeod |
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| Kate Margetson |
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| Sharynne presenting about the Children Draw Talking research |
We are very excited to have a number of abstracts accepted for the Speech Pathology Australia National Conference to be held in Perth in May. This week I have begun working with my colleagues to prepare our presentations.
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| Sarah Faulks and Sharynne working on our SPA presentation |
Congratulations Sarah Bartlett on the submission of your thesis for the Graduate Certificate in Arts and Social Science (Research). Sarah's thesis was titled "Caregivers’ insights into supporting their late talkers using Target Word™ Hanen® Parent Program". We had a happy online submission party to celebrate the occasion:
Background: Children who are late talkers benefit from interventions such as Target Word™ Hanen Program® for Parents. Understanding caregivers’ experiences can assist speech language pathologists (SLPs) to promote caregivers’ active engagement to positively impact child outcomes from interventions.
Aim: To explore caregivers’ experiences and engagement during the 16-week Target Word™ intervention.
Method: Qualitative Interpretative Description (ID) methodology was used to understand the experience of five caregivers who had recently completed Target Word™. Caregivers attended a focus group to share their perspectives. Transcripts of these focus groups were analysed using Reflexive Thematic Analysis.
Results: Two themes were identified. Firstly, that caregivers described explicit roles for SLPs to support their engagement over time: in the beginning (clarify expectations), middle (enable caregiver to link changes in their behaviour to positive child outcomes) and final (empowered caregivers) phases of the intervention. Secondly, that caregiver engagement in learning is individual, influenced by (a) individual needs and expectations, (b) active engagement during key learning moments, (c) influence of the broader environment.
Conclusion: Caregivers participating in Target Word™ experienced unique engagement journeys over the course of the program. SLPs can explicitly facilitate engagement at each phase of Target Word™ to promote active engagement for learning and ultimately caregiver empowerment to support their children’s language growth.