Early Intervention Matters

37:02

Connected Dad: Supporting Fathers of Neurodivergent...

Early Intervention Matters ·

2026/10/05

In this episode, Dr. Inyang Takon talks with John Greenall, Consultant Community Paediatrician, coach, father of four and author of Connected Dad. Together they look at why dads can seem distant or reluctant during an autism or ADHD assessment, what is really going on underneath, and how parents and clinicians can bring dads back into the picture. In this episode you will learn: Why dads often see their child's difficulties differently, and why that view still mattersWhat John means by "fa...

en-us

48:36

Waiting for Speech Therapy? Start Here... Dr. Inyang...

Early Intervention Matters ·

2026/10/03

Doctors told Jeaneen Tang her son might never walk or talk. He is 12 now, and he loves to sing and hold a conversation. Jeaneen is a speech-language pathologist with 25 years of experience and the author of Play Dumb and Sabotage. In this conversation with Dr Inyang Takon, she shares the simple, everyday strategies parents can start using at home, especially while they are waiting to see a speech therapist. You will hear what to expect from your child's speech from birth to three, the signs...

en-us

40:13

Empowering Neurodivergent Teens: Lawrence C Harris's...

Early Intervention Matters ·

2026/09/16

In this episode, Lawrence talks with Dr. Inyang Takon about what a late autism diagnosis looked like from the inside, why cultural and faith-community stigma can delay families getting support, four years of therapy and what actually changed for him, and the practical, no-jargon advice he now gives teens and parents navigating similar struggles. Diagnosed with autism at 15, bullied through school, and later dealing with an abusive parent, Lawrence knows what it feels like to be a teenager who...

en-us

42:19

The Tiegerman Story: One Family's Relentless Journey...

Early Intervention Matters ·

2026/09/15

His mother watched her sister lose the ability to speak — Forty years later, that story is a school that's changed 700 lives annually In this episode, Dr. Inyang Takon sits down with Dr. Jeremy Tiegerman, licensed psychologist and Chief Operating Officer of Tiegerman, a life-cycle agency serving children and adults from age 3 through adulthood on Long Island, New York. They cover how families get admitted through the IEP and CSE process, why Tiegerman staffs two certified teachers per...

en-us

71:33

"Decisions About Patients Should Never Be Made...

Early Intervention Matters ·

2026/08/31

Summary: Ruth Ajayi, Patient Advocate, Public Speaker, and Non-Executive Director, joins Dr. Inyang Takon to talk about how a traumatic maternity experience sixteen years ago launched a career spent bringing patient and carer voices into rooms of power. Ruth explains the difference between consultation and co-production, how she built community engagement from scratch by walking into GP surgeries and hair salons rather than waiting for people to come to her, and what she looks for as a patie...

en-us

77:05

Aggressive. Manipulative. Lazy...?" Why We're Getting...

Early Intervention Matters ·

2026/08/27

Antonia Rathbun Lindsey, an internationally recognised art therapist and FASD specialist with 40 years of experience, joins Dr. Inyang Takon to reframe how we understand behaviour in children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. Drawing on her own experience as a late-deafened clinician who learned to adapt her own body, and her years working within an Afrocentric family reunification programme, Antonia explains why alcohol exposure in pregnancy disrupts neuronal development, why children w...

en-us

64:12

The Language of Play: Dinalynn Rosenbush on Speech,...

Early Intervention Matters ·

2026/08/24

Summary Dinalynn Rosenbush, a 30-year speech-language pathologist and creator of the top 1.5% podcast The Language of Play, joins Dr. Inyang Takon to reframe how parents think about speech and language delay. They cover the misconception that only a speech pathologist can move the needle (parents' time and connection matter just as much), why signing supports rather than delays speech, why "play" is not a break from language-building but the mechanism of it, and practical, low-cost strategie...

en-us

78:03

Seeing the Whole Child: Beyond the Diagnosis with Dr....

Early Intervention Matters ·

2026/08/21

Summary: Dr. Sudipta Sen, a consultant paediatrician with over 33 years of experience across NHS and private practice, joins Dr. Inyang Takon to unpack what it really means to "see the whole child." Drawing on a career that began at one of Kolkata's busiest hospitals and was shaped by a formative encounter with Mother Teresa, Dr. Sen explains why she pushes back against rigid referral criteria, how she builds trust with a child in the first moments of an appointment, and why a diagnosis shou...

en-us

69:57

From Diagnosis to Belonging: Autism, Fatherhood and...

Early Intervention Matters ·

2026/08/12

John Fela describes himself as a “Swiss Army knife of disability advocacy”—and it is an unusually accurate description. He brings nearly 20 years in education, experience as a teacher, school leader and job coach, work with faith-based and non-faith-based disability organisations, and years spent creating spaces for fathers of disabled children. Running through all of it is his lived experience of raising Christopher, his nonverbal autistic son, from diagnosis into adulthood. That breadth mat...

en-us

56:28

Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) - When...

Early Intervention Matters ·

2026/08/10

What happens when a child experiences seizures, tics, weakness, paralysis or persistent pain—but hospital tests do not reveal an identifiable medical cause? That does not mean the symptoms are imagined or that nothing is wrong. In this episode of Early Intervention Matters, Dr Inyang Takon speaks with child and adolescent psychotherapist Sagal Hassan about Functional Neurological Disorder, commonly known as FND, and related functional somatic symptoms in children and young people. FND can ...

en-us

44:43

"Pills Don't Give Skills": The Surprising Benefits of...

Early Intervention Matters ·

2026/08/05

Host: Dr. Inyang Takon Guest: Dr. Norrine Russell Podcast: Early Intervention Matters ABOUT THIS EPISODE In this episode, Dr. Inyang Takon sits down with Dr. Norrine Russell, founder of Russell Coaching for Students, to unpack a critical distinction that many parents and professionals miss: the difference between coaching and therapy for neurodiverse children. If you’ve ever wondered whether your child needs therapy, coaching or something else entirely, this conversation offers clarity, reass...

en-us

60:24

Parenting Harmony: Music, Autism and the Power of...

Early Intervention Matters ·

2026/07/23

In this episode of Early Intervention Matters, Dr. Inyang Takon welcomes Craig Parks, founder of Parenting Harmony, camp director and children’s musician with more than 30 years of experience working with children and families. Craig shares his personal journey of raising a son on the autism spectrum and explores how music, simple rituals and everyday presence can help parents build stronger connections with their children. He also introduces the Parenting A to E Method, a practical fra...

en-us

77:37

Supporting Neurodivergent Children in Nigeria:...

Early Intervention Matters ·

2026/07/20

Dr. Inyang Takon and Dr. Gbemisola Boyede discuss the systemic, cultural, and resource barriers facing neurodivergent children and their families in Nigeria and across Africa, and the grassroots innovations, advocacy, and community-led approaches creating real progress. In Nigeria, a mother whose two-year-old isn't speaking is likely to hear: "He's a boy, he'll talk when he's ready." Then she visits her mother: "This child needs prayers." Then the pastor: "There's a spirit on this child." And...

en-us

37:06

From education to employment and independence -...

Early Intervention Matters ·

2026/07/16

Dr. Inyang Takon and Carol Waldman discuss the critical gaps in support for autistic young adults transitioning from education to employment and independence, and how parent advocacy and legislation can help close them. Every parent of a neurodivergent child knows the dread of what's coming: the moment at eighteen when the services, the support structures, and the familiar systems suddenly fall away. What happens next is often left to parents to figure out alone. In this episode, Dr. I...

en-us

48:46

Autistic Adults, Independence & the System That Fails...

Early Intervention Matters ·

2026/07/13

For many autistic young people, turning 18 means one thing: the end of support. The services, the structure, the familiar professionals? Gone. Left with a piece of paper for vocational rehabilitation and a world that was never designed with them in mind. In this episode, Dr. Inyang Takon speaks with April Ratchford, autistic occupational therapist and host of the global recognised Adulting with Autism podcast. A mum of an Autistic son herself, she discusses what it really looks like to suppor...

en-us

43:04

Resilience and Grief in Parents of Neurodivergents:...

Early Intervention Matters ·

2026/07/12

What does it really feel like to grieve a future that hasn't happened yet? For parents of neurodivergent children, the moment of diagnosis can trigger a profound and often invisible grief... one that doesn't end, but ebbs and flows throughout their parenting journey. In this episode, Dr. Inyang Takon is joined by Lynn Banis, grief mentor and founder of Women Rising Together. They explore the emotional landscape of neurodivergent parenting. Lynn shares her own experience of succes...

en-us

45:56

Changing the Conversation Around Childhood Obesity |...

Early Intervention Matters ·

2026/06/29

Dr. Inyang Takon welcomes Dr. Evan Nadler, an internationally recognised paediatric surgeon and childhood obesity specialist, for an honest conversation that challenges many of the assumptions surrounding childhood obesity. Drawing on more than two decades of clinical experience, Dr. Nadler explains why obesity should no longer be viewed as a personal failure or lack of willpower. The discussion explores why many families become trapped in an exhausting cycle of diet and exercise progra...

en-us

59:05

The Hidden Scripts Shaping Your Child's Confidence,...

Early Intervention Matters ·

2026/06/15

Dr. Inyang Takon is joined by Dr. Albert Bramante to explore the powerful connection between neurodiversity, mindset, self-esteem, emotional development, and the invisible "scripts" that shape how children see themselves and the world around them. Together, they discuss how children begin forming beliefs about themselves before the age of eight and how those beliefs can influence confidence, behaviour, academic achievement, relationships, and even future success. The conversation explor...

en-us

45:39

Rare Epilepsy, Resilience, and Advocacy: Mike...

Early Intervention Matters ·

2026/06/14

In this deeply moving episode of Early Intervention Matters, Dr. Takon speaks with Mike Gomoll, father, advocate, and founder of Joey's Song, about his family's journey through the challenges of Dravet syndrome, a rare and severe form of epilepsy. Mike shares the emotional rollercoaster of navigating early symptoms, delayed diagnosis, treatment setbacks, and the uncertainty that so many families experience when searching for answers. He offers a candid look at the realities of caring for a ch...

en-us

46:54

Marc Paisant on ADHD, Mental Health, and Finding...

Early Intervention Matters ·

2026/06/13

Marc shares the reality of living with undiagnosed ADHD, the impact it had on his confidence, relationships, and daily life, and how receiving a diagnosis helped him make sense of years of frustration and self-doubt. He speaks candidly about reaching a breaking point, the importance of seeking support, and the transformative role that therapy, vulnerability, and self-awareness played in his recovery. The conversation also explores the unique challenges surrounding mental health within the Bla...

en-us

All Episodes

Similar Podcasts

وجوه من الـظل

Medi1 Podcast

The Sam Sanders Show

KCRW & Sam Sanders

Philosophy Book Collection

The Podcast Network

Avec philosophie

France Culture

Pop Culture Junkie®

Pop Culture Junkie