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 that mean it is time to ask for help, how snack time and bubbles can become daily speech practice and more.

Timestamps:
00:56 Welcome and introduction
02:05 Jeaneen's journey: Hawaii, Los Angeles and 25 years in speech therapy
03:25 Why late talkers often have very caring parents
04:16 Her son's fall, brain bleed and stroke
05:02 How he is doing today, and how music helps his language
06:45 Turning every interaction into speech practice
09:13 Long waiting lists and missed opportunities
10:32 "You don't know what you don't know": why parents wait
15:24 Speech milestones from birth to three, and red flags
20:39 What early intervention looks like: structured play
24:50 Don't ask a yes/no question unless you will honour the "no"
28:42 What to do while you wait: choices, snack time and bubbles
34:47 The progress children make when parents are involved
38:17 Late talker or something more?
40:14 The book: Play Dumb and Sabotage
45:27 Where to find the book and contact Jeaneen
47:39 Jeaneen's final message: don't be afraid to ask for help

Bio:
Jeaneen Tang, speech-language pathologist and mother of a special needs child. Along with her over 24 years of experience working with children and adults with neurodiversity, she also has an 13 year old son who is neurodivergent. He suffered a traumatic brain injury and stroke at 13 months old. Her personal and professional relationship with this amazing population has forever changed her. She hopes to change their world too.

Resources
She recently published her first book called PLAY DUMB & SABOTAGE. It addresses early language development and is meant to be helpful for parents, caregivers, and educators to work with young children and hopefully decrease the number of children needing speech therapy. Through preventative training, she believes we can achieve success and raise confident communicators.

IG personal: @jt808
IG business: @playdumbandsabotage
https://www.playdumbandsabotage.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeaneen-tang-707a6730

Her Book: Play Dumb & Sabotage: Mindfully under-anticipating the child’s needs and creating opportunities to practice language

Check it out on Amazon: https://a.co/d/8WgnAsP

This episode is for general information and does not replace advice from your own health professional. If you are worried about your child's speech, please ask for a referral.

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Resources & Connect with Dr. Inyang Takon:

(NEW!): https://braindiverse.org

A Resource Library of tools, tips, tutorials, Apps & Training for Parents, Teachers and Health Professionals

Other links:
Website: https://www.drtakon.com
General Information for Parents and Teachers: https://www.school-doctor.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/inyang-takon-paeds/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/early_interventionmatters/
Subscribe: https://neuropaeddoc.substack.com/
Read: https://braindiverse.substack.com/
Questions? Email: eim@drtakon.com
Guest enquiries: podcast@drtakon.com