Early Intervention Matters

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...

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...

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,...

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 familie...

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...

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,...

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 &q...

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 referr...

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...

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, commonl...

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...

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 conne...

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&apo...

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 fa...

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 Au...

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 explor...

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...

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 confide...

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 ma...

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 recove...

In this episode of Early Intervention Matters, Dr. Inyang Takon speaks with Onyi A. Udoji, child development specialist, neurodivergent learning practitioner, consultant, educator, advocate, and Director of The Chelis Group, about the realities of neurodiversity in Nigeria and the urgent need for greater awareness, inclusion, and early intervention. Drawing on both personal experience and professi...

When families receive an ADHD diagnosis, many struggle to know what to do next. In this episode, Dr. Inyang Takon is joined by ADHD coach and educator Tiara Brumberg to discuss executive functioning, emotional regulation, and practical strategies for supporting children and teens with ADHD. Together they explore the challenges families face after diagnosis, the importance of coaching and community...

Dr. Inyang Takon speaks with Samantha Foote about the transformative role of music therapy in supporting neurodivergent children and their families. Drawing from both professional expertise and personal experience, Samantha explains how music accesses multiple areas of the brain, supports emotional regulation, and creates opportunities for connection, communication, and growth What You’ll Learn  H...

For many families and professionals, chronic illness and neurodiversity can feel complex and overwhelming. This conversation offers a different lens—one that asks better questions, looks deeper, and recognises that health issues often have root causes. In this thought-provoking episode of Early Intervention Matters, Dr. Inyang Takon sits down with Dr. Jess Armine to explore a different way of unde...

In this powerful episode of Early Intervention Matters , Dr. Inyang Takon speaks with Jessica Danel, a mother of special needs children, entrepreneur, and advocate, who shares her honest journey through diagnosis, advocacy, and resilience. If you’re a parent, caregiver, or professional supporting neurodiverse children, this conversation is a reminder that: You don’t need to have all the answers.  ...