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

Mostly Middle Tennessee Business Podcast · Aug 21, 2026 · 1h 6m · transcript

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…