Early Intervention Matters
The Early Intervention Matters Podcast is a podcast that informs, inspires and equips parents and professionals who live and work with children with neurodevelopmental difficulties and disabilities like autism, adhd, tic-disorders, and learning difficulties.
Episodes
59 episodes
Connected Dad: Supporting Fathers of Neurodivergent Children
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,...
Waiting for Speech Therapy? Start Here... Dr. Inyang Takon Interviews Jeaneen Tang
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 thi...
Empowering Neurodivergent Teens: Lawrence C Harris's Advice for Young People and their Parents
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 fo...
The Tiegerman Story: One Family's Relentless Journey to Build a School for Neurodivergent Learners.
His mother watched her sister lose the ability to speak — Forty years later, that story is a school that's changed 700 lives annuallyIn this episode, Dr. Inyang Takon sits down with Dr. Jeremy Tiegerman, licensed ps...
"Decisions About Patients Should Never Be Made Without Patients"
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 ...
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Aggressive. Manipulative. Lazy...?" Why We're Getting FASD Behaviour Wrong
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 he...
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The Language of Play: Dinalynn Rosenbush on Speech, Sign Language, and Waiting Lists
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 misconcep...
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Seeing the Whole Child: Beyond the Diagnosis with Dr. Sudipta Sen
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 ...
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From Diagnosis to Belonging: Autism, Fatherhood and Disability Advocacy | John Fela
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-...
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Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) - When Symptoms are Real but Tests are Normal...
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...
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"Pills Don't Give Skills": The Surprising Benefits of Coaching for Neurodiverse Children
Host: Dr. Inyang TakonGuest: Dr. Norrine RussellPodcast: Early Intervention MattersABOUT THIS EPISODEIn this episode, Dr. Inyang Takon sits down with Dr. Norrine Russell, founder of R...
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Parenting Harmony: Music, Autism and the Power of Everyday Connection
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 shar...
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Supporting Neurodivergent Children in Nigeria: Barriers, Hope, and Progress
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 a...
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From education to employment and independence - Advocacy for Young Autistic Adults in Transition - with Carol Waldman
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 ...
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Autistic Adults, Independence & the System That Fails Them: April Ratchford talks to Dr. Inyang Takon
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...
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Resilience and Grief in Parents of Neurodivergents: Navigating Feelings of Loss and Building Support Systems
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<...
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Changing the Conversation Around Childhood Obesity | with Dr. Evan Nadler
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...
The Hidden Scripts Shaping Your Child's Confidence, Mindset & Success - With Dr. Albert Bramante
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 w...
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Rare Epilepsy, Resilience, and Advocacy: Mike Gomoll's Inspiring Story
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 ...
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Marc Paisant on ADHD, Mental Health, and Finding Himself Again - Interview with Dr. Inyang Takon
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 re...
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Changing Minds, Changing Lives: Neurodiversity Awareness in Nigeria - With Onyi A. Udoji
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...
The "Messy Middle" of ADHD: Coaching, Executive Function & Practical Strategies for Families - with Tiara Brumberg, ADHD coach
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, emotiona...
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How and Why Music Therapy Works for Neurodivergent Children — With Samantha Foote
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 m...
Treating Symptoms Vs Root Causes: (Understanding Functional Medicine) - with Dr. Jess Armine
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...
Neurodiversity, Advocacy & Resilience: Jessica Danel’s Story of Strength and Faith
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...
