Host Tracey Spencer Walsh sits down with Dr. Cecelia “Cece” McCarton, a pioneering developmental pediatrician and founder of the McCarton Foundation, for an illuminating conversation about autism, early intervention, and what it really takes to help every child reach their potential.

With over four decades of groundbreaking work in developmental pediatrics, Dr. McCarton shares how her experience in the South Bronx inspired a lifelong mission to build programs that combine clinical care, education, and compassion for children with autism and developmental delays.

Here is what you'll take away from this important conversation:

🟡 How Dr. McCarton’s personal and professional journey led to founding the first integrated autism centers in New York City
🟡 Why early intervention, starting as young as 18 months, can dramatically change outcomes
🟡 What parents need to know about sensory regulation and why “play” is often powerful therapy
🟡 The lasting effects of COVID-19 on children with autism and the surprising silver linings that emerged
🟡 How collaborative, interdisciplinary care can transform lives and why funding and policy still fall short

“Autistic children are incredibly gifted. We spend so much time trying to ‘fix’ them, when we should be celebrating their strengths and helping them shine.” — Dr. Cecelia McCarton

This episode is a heartfelt masterclass on hope, science, and advocacy. Whether you’re a parent, educator, therapist, or policymaker, Dr. McCarton’s story will leave you inspired to see autism, and potential itself, through a new lens.

Dr. Cecelia McCarton is a pioneering developmental pediatrician whose career began over forty years ago in the South Bronx, where she served as Clinical Director of a high-risk infant project. Witnessing firsthand the profound challenges and resilience of families caring for vulnerable children, she dedicated her life to creating meaningful solutions for those too often overlooked by the system.

Driven by compassion and determination, Dr. McCarton founded The McCarton Center for Developmental Pediatrics, the first program of its kind to offer integrated evaluations and therapies for children with developmental disorders under one roof. As autism diagnoses rose, her comprehensive model became internationally recognized for its success, leading to the creation of the McCarton School, The Children’s Academy, and now, the McCarton Foundation’s Early Intervention Center in the Bronx.

Through decades of tireless work, Dr. McCarton has redefined what’s possible in care and education for children with autism and developmental differences, guided by one unwavering belief: every child has potential and deserves the opportunity to reach it.