Professor Chesko Gets Real About Autism, ADHD & Going Viral
August 13, 2026 · 1 hr 9 min
Why listen
A college professor with millions of followers gets honest about autism, ADHD, and building a life on kindness.
Enjoy the episode?
Subscribe to String and Tell with Tawny and Kristen
In this episode
- What a late autism diagnosis actually feels like from the inside
- How growing up in poverty shapes the way you handle risk and success
- Why building an audience through kindness works better than outrage
- How to stay grounded and private while living very publicly online
About this episode
Social media educator, college professor, and creator Professor Chesko (The Speech Prof) joins Tawny Platis to make friendship bracelets while talking about autism, ADHD, teaching, creativity, internet fame, and why being yourself online is both liberating and terrifying.
Professor Chesko shares how a late autism diagnosis helped explain decades of experiences he never fully understood, like masking. social anxiety, his love of routines, and communication. He also reflects on growing up in poverty, why he still teaches full-time despite millions of followers online, and how creating content with kindness became an unexpected career.
Along the way, the conversation wanders through 3D printing, slam poetry, Bay Area hip-hop, childhood dreams, viral internet culture, and what it really means to build a life around safety, creativity, and authenticity.
In this episode, Professor Chesko talks about:
Discovering autism later in life and the grief (and relief) that followed
Growing up in poverty and why it made him deeply risk-averse
Why he'll never quit teaching to become a full-time content creator
Building a massive online audience through kindness instead of outrage
Masking, routines, and learning to embrace neurodivergence
His obsession with 3D printing and reliving childhood through cosplay
Touring as a slam poet and the evolution of internet culture
Protecting his family's privacy while living so publicly online
Why curiosity is the key to meaningful conversations and friendships
Plus, Tawny and Professor Chesko compare late autism diagnoses, discuss how social media has changed the way we interact with each other, and make friendship bracelets to support the Transgender Law Center, with 100% of bracelet sales benefiting the organization.
Follow Professor Chesko:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thespeechprof/
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@speechprof/
Follow Tawny:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tawnyplatis/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tawnyplatis
About String and Tell with Tawny and Kristen
Voice actors Tawny Platis and Kristen DiMercurio challenge each other to voice act in deliberately miscast performances every Thursday! After the games, they chat about voice acting, art, and entertainment while they make friendship bracelets based on what they just performed.
See all episodes →
