When Autistic Kids Grow Up: Community, Independence & Purpose with Meredith Pettigrew :: Ep 295 The Mostly Middle Tennessee Business Podcast

What happens after an autistic child grows up?Meredith Pettigrew joins Jim McCarthy for a candid, funny and deeply human conversation about supporting autistic adults—and why a meaningful life can't always be measured by a traditional job or career.Meredith shares her journey from public-school teacher to leading Autism Career Training, an organization now expanding its mission toward Autism Community Training. The change reflects something Meredith has learned firsthand: every autistic adult is different, and success can look dramatically different from one person to the next.For some, that may mean employment with a job coach. For others, it may mean volunteering, communicating more independently, learning everyday life skills, participating in the community or simply experiencing something they've never done before.Jim and Meredith also talk about the teachers we remember for the rest of our lives, the challenges facing public education, why people sometimes feel uncomfortable around autism, community partnerships with Middle Tennessee businesses and organizations, and the importance of connecting with the person rather than the diagnosis.It's a conversation about autism—but it's also about dignity, purpose, community and what happens when somebody genuinely gives a damn.SPONSORS: ItsYourShow.co - Podcast and Short-Form Content Ideation and ProductionMuleTown Bikes :: MuletownBikes.comColumbia, Tennessee (on the square)Christian Brothers Automotive – Spring Hill :: www.cbac.com/spring-hill/Across from Walmart on Highway 31, Spring Hill, Tennessee