Jeaneen Tang: Play Dumb and Sabotage: Encouraging Language Growth in Children and Adults

About Jeaneen Tang: Jeaneen Tang is a speech-language pathologist with over 20 years of experience working with neurodivergent children and adults. A mother of a neurodivergent son, Jeaneen's personal journey has deepened her commitment to improving language development strategies for special needs populations. Her book, Play Dumb & Sabotage, offers practical tools for parents and professionals to enhance communication skills in young children. Jeaneen has shared her expertise globally, inspiring others to rethink early language intervention.

In this episode, Brian and Jeaneen Tang discuss: 

• The role of personal experiences in shaping career paths and passions, particularly in caregiving and speech therapy
• Challenges and experiences with speech delays in children and adults
• Importance of early intervention and speech therapy
• Coping strategies for dealing with communication issues in both children and elderly family members 

Key Takeaways:

• Personal caregiving experiences, such as managing a child's severe brain injury or helping a sick family member, can deeply influence one's approach to both professional and personal caregiving responsibilities​.
• Identifying red flags in speech development—such as a child not babbling by one year or not combining words by age two—is critical for parents to seek early intervention, which can significantly reduce the need for long-term therapy​.
• The "play dumb and sabotage" strategy encourages caregivers to intentionally under-anticipate a child's or adult's needs, thereby fostering opportunities for them to practice communication and engage actively.
• Speech delays in children don’t always mean long-term special education is necessary, and early intervention, esp