Growing up different, together.
Come as you are. This is a place for real connection and care through the messy teen years toward independence—open to neurodivergent (ND) and neurotypical (NT) individuals and supporting adults, spanning middle school, high school, and college.
Also available on: Apple Podcasts • Spotify • YouTube • RSS
Hosted by Pradhyun — living this transition, together.
Recent Episodes
You're here because you're tired of generic advice. Tired of forums that don't quite get it, resources that feel disconnected, presentations that miss the point. You're looking for something real—insights from people who've lived it, authentic conversations, contexts that actually match your life, and the simple reassurance that you're not alone.
Episode 3: In Conversation with William
Childhood friends reconnect across continents to talk about maintaining connection through distance, being misunderstood in elementary school, and why autism isn't a weakness—it's a strength.
William and Pradhyun reconnect after years of friendship kept alive through Minecraft and quick calls. William shares what elementary school felt like—when being autistic made him seem like the "bad kid," even though he wasn't trying to cause trouble. They unpack online vs. face-to-face friendships, how neurodiversity shows up as hyperfocus and dedication, and what it's like to navigate college as an autistic student. Now studying aerospace engineering and aviation at Ohio State, William talks about choosing a school that felt right over chasing prestige, the independence gained from working as a camp counselor, and joining the flight team where one of the coaches is also autistic. His message is clear: autism isn't something to overcome—it's a strength that, once embraced, can shift your entire worldview. A conversation between friends about connection, growth, and refusing to see neurodiversity as a deficit.
Listen on YouTubeEpisode 2: In Conversation with Gautham
A high school freshman in Ohio talks about middle school bullying, finding friends who get it, and why communicating with adults actually helped.
Gautham shares what shifted from elementary to middle school—when being "weird" suddenly mattered and fitting in got harder. He talks honestly about being bullied over messages, why he struggled to connect with peers, and the moment his parents stepped in to help. Now in high school, he's navigating new social territory: finding friends who share his interests (Roblox, Pokémon, game design), learning from past mistakes, and figuring out how to be himself without the alienation. A conversation between cousins about autism, acceptance, and what it really means to ask for help.
Listen on YouTubeEpisode 1: Welcome to The Wild Middle
From early intervention to isolation and back again—one teen's journey through the wild middle, and why we need each other to navigate it.
Pradhyun shares his story: diagnosed with autism at three, thriving with support through elementary school, then moving to India with high hopes that turned hollow. Through middle school's fast-forward pace, Grade 9's breakthrough as a leader, and Grade 10's social breakdown, he realized something crucial—the support that carried him through childhood disappeared exactly when he needed it most. This episode is about that gap, the cycle of isolation, and why creating a community for neurodivergent teens navigating adolescence to independence isn't just helpful—it's essential. Real talk about what happens when you're expected to "have it figured out" but nobody taught you how.
Listen on YouTubeAbout This Podcast
Each of us has felt different. Adolescence amplifies everything—the expectations rising from middle school through college, the drive to become who we're meant to be. Being weird—some of us felt so for some time, while others have felt so all along. This podcast is about understanding that weirdness, embracing it, and letting it become your edge.
(Fun fact: 'Weird' comes from Old English wyrd, meaning fate or destiny. The Weird Sisters in Macbeth were literally the Fates. So being weird? That's just being connected to who you're meant to become.)
When I reflect on my own breakthroughs and struggles, I find great advice that failed and questionable strategies that somehow worked. These aren't textbook solutions—they're ideas invented or adapted on the fly, born from the situations we're actually thrown into. This podcast is about sharing those real experiences and testing them again together, identifying what works and innovating what doesn't, with conversations as our incubator.
We'll talk about executive functioning struggles, our interests, our obsessions and hyperfixations, tools and technology that actually help, learning systems, social media, subjects, tests, accommodations, games, and more—all from lived experience and authentic ideas in this safe space.
I'm hosting this while living this transition myself. Each episode blends my personal stories with those of friends, parents, educators, and guests from around the world.
This is by us, for us—with the authenticity that only comes from shared experience.
What We'll Talk About
- Executive functioning and daily life strategies
- Interests, obsessions, and hyperfixations
- Tools, technology, and learning systems that work
- College applications and decision-making
- Building independence while staying connected to support
- Self-advocacy and speaking up for yourself
- Identity exploration during adolescence
- Navigating social media and peer relationships
- Dealing with bullies and finding your people
- Pursuing and managing your interests
- Tests, accommodations, and school systems
- Practical life skills nobody teaches you
And all things we can teach and learn and share. I look forward to enriching this space by each of you—staying open, contemplating possibilities.