On the latest episode of his and wife Catelynn Lowell’s Cate & Ty Break It Down podcast, Tyler Baltierra revealed to listeners that he was recently diagnosed with autism.
The Teen Mom: The Next Chapter star explained that, while he had “behavioral issues” as a child and claimed he was “kicked out of schools” and “multiple daycares,” he only thought to get tested for autism after noticing that his and Cate’s six-year-old daughter, Vaeda, acted similarly to how he did as a kid.
“I’m a little bit more of a present parent, I think, than my mom could have been back then,” Tyler said, recalling that many of his behavioral issues as a child were attributed to him being “an [attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder] hyper kid.”
“Just seeing so many things in Vaeda that I’m like, ‘Oh my God, I get why she’s doing that. Oh my God, when I was a kid, I remember doing that … ,’” Tyler said. “First thing I noticed is that small things [that] should not be a big deal are a huge deal to her.”
In addition to previously being diagnosed with ADHD, Tyler shared that he was also diagnosed with bipolar disorder– the latter of which he admits he didn’t necessarily agree with. (Tyler revealed that he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder back in 2018, noting at the time that he had previously been diagnosed with depression.)
“ … I remember them telling me that I was bipolar and just feeling inside, like, this doesn’t sit with me … ,” he explained, noting that he didn’t experience the highs and lows that typically come with bipolar disorder.
While undergoing the autism test recently, Tyler said his doctor was able to explain why he exhibits certain behaviors, including mood swings.
“ … She was like, ‘Your mood swings are based [on] things not going right in your weird little routine that I won’t be able to understand, your wife will never be able to understand fully. You can explain it as much as you can about how these things operate in your head and how when one thing is off … so these mood swings will come across [like] something really frustrated you real quick,’” he said.
After learning that he was on the spectrum, Tyler said his doctor also informed him that he “ranked super-high in masking,” which she said was common for those who receive a diagnosis at his age.
Tyler then revealed that he had mixed feelings after receiving his diagnosis.
“It felt like a big sigh of relief,” he said. “And then I got really sad … because I thought about all the stuff I went through as a kid. Because I felt so sad for that little kid who was like, ‘What’s wrong with me? Something’s wrong, why am I not normal?’
” … If I would have known about my stuff, being autistic or being on the spectrum, would that have changed my therapy?” he wondered later in the episode. “It got me thinking, ‘Wow, there’s so many things that could have been different.'”
Tyler and Cate said during the podcast episode that they plan to have Vaeda tested for autism, though Tyler revealed that he doesn’t plan seek any treatment for his own diagnosis.
“I could try multiple different things … it’s just the way my brain works,” he said. “Instead of trying to fix it, let’s just try to live with this thing and I think knowing this information makes me better aware.”
Watch a clip from Cate and Tyler’s latest podcast episode below.
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(Photos: Instagram; MTV)
55 Responses
No trying to be rude or shame but UHM I alwayz thought they both were undiagnosed autistic..
He’s absolutely insufferable. Always a victim. No matter what the situation or scenario he’s somehow always a victim. Get a job bum.
Of course Tyler is a more present parent than Kim was, since he recently lost his full-time job at stalking Carly and her friends. I do hope that this recent discovery helps him to realize appropriate behaviors in the future.
Right? The audacity of claiming that you’re more “present” than your single, working mom was when you’re just an unemployed grifter who, by the way, STILL hasn’t had his child screened for the autism he publicly announces she must have.
Didn’t he make this announcement on his podcast? You know, his job… The thing he does to make money?
I have an adult child that was diagnosed with autism when he was in college. He had been diagnosed previously as bipolar and given medication for it. It wasn’t until he was 20 that things really started to spiral and he sought the help of a psychiatrist. The doctor suspected that his repetitive behaviors, lack of social cues and obsessive complusive issues might be autism so he had him tested. The testing revealed that he was indeed on the spectrum and was diagnosed with Asperger’s…a very high functioning form of autism. I’m not sure I agree with Tyler’s diagnosis as he has never seemed to me to be even a high functioning Asperger level autistic. He’s social, understands social cues, doesn’t exhibit any repetitive or obsessive behaviors that I can see. I would buy into the bipolar or depression diagnosis since he was abused as a child…he might want to get a second opinion on the autism…it really matters who is testing you and what kind of test is being administered.
I’m sure you know as you have a child with autism that Asperger’s (now called Level 1 Autism) can look very different from one person to another. A friend of mine with that diagnosis from a young age fits perfectly in the stereotypical high IQ, black and white logical/factual thinking, horrendous social skills box but I – also with that same diagnosis do not. I have the same high IQ and black and white thinking but my logic is emotionally backed rather than factually backed like theirs is and due to the culture/situation I grew up in and being late diagnosed, my masking skills are immaculate and I don’t have issues with social cues. We behave and respond completely differently but we both meet the same diagnostic criteria. Maybe its not the diagnosis that’s the issue, maybe it’s the utter lack of up to date information/research on it that’s the issue. Doc’s can only work with what they’ve got until someone brings some new research to the table to update the info from the 1940’s.
Good lord this comment section is hateful. I am still pissed at both of them for how they are screwing things up with Carly, but geeze louise.
They have both always been very open talking about mental health. If that makes you feel excessively uncomfortable, please consider that in some teeny tiny way that this may be a “you” issue. They both came from highly dysfunctional, abusive, and neglectful homes. It really shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone that they each have multiple issues. In fact, statistically speaking they would be an anomaly if they DIDN’T have them.
If they don’t need to work because they made enough money on TV, good for them.
Quite frankly, Tyler deserves this. He is here talking about how he observed certain behaviors in his child and instead of getting his child screened, he got himself screened (even though he doesn’t plan to address his diagnosis at all).
No one cares that they talk about mental health. We do care that they are constantly acting like the victim, acting as the experts when they are woefully uneducated, and exploit their children for monetary gain. This article is a perfect example. WTF is he frequently talking about Vaeda’s struggles and possible medical issues? How is he here making money off of that for years when he hasn’t even bothered to get this 6 year old screened for a disorder he claims she has? Riddle me that.
Normally, I agree with you 100% SFoU. But I’ll have to agree to disagree on this one.
He observed those behaviors in his child, but he states he didn’t realize they were related to Autism until he himself got diagnosed. He’s explaining that he just put the pieces together. Not that he ignored signs he understood in his child.
Also, there’s really not much to do, other than learn coping skills, if you’ve been diagnosed as an adult. He’s already been doing that with therapy for years. Now he just has a label and framework to understand his own behaviors better… which can further help him be a stronger person. There’s no medicine you can take. Just a journey of self-acceptance. The early interventions they do with kids are important so you can help them with learning and development differences that might interfere with schooling and socialization…or communication if non-verbal. And we ALL can agree that being non-verbal is not one of Tyler’s problems. 😂✌
I’m confused as to why they didn’t get Vaeda tested first? Especially when he doesn’t plan on any type of treatment for himself. I have ADHD and it got overlooked when I was a kid so as soon as I suspected my child had it I got them tested. After seeing how things can improve I got tested. It seems totally backwards to think ‘oh I think my child might have autism I guess I’ll get myself tested for it first’. Like what?
She may not be old enough to be tested yet – and getting a diagnosis as a girl can be far more difficult for girls because almost all of the research completed on autism is from the 1940’s on young boys in Vienna – the symptoms/traits presented are typically quite different in girls and boys so a lot of the time girls don’t meet the diagnostic criteria even though they are clearly on the spectrum.
It is definitely harder for girls to get diagnosed for it and anything else. My kid with adhd had trouble at first because her teacher just thought she was so sweet and adorable (literally her words), her next teacher had a better eye for it. Vaeda is old enough though, I personally know 3 children with autism, one of them diagnosed at 2, a girl with high functioning at 4, and the other was also 4 and lives in Michigan like Tyler and Cate. It’s easier to get evaluated once a child starts school but having the right teacher really helps.
A 6 year old is definitely old enough. Vaeda is already repeating kindergarten, so she has been in school for a year and was required to repeat because of issues she was having. Unfortunately, Tyler and Cate openly discussed this on their podcast. They’ve been discussing her struggles for years. So, there is no secret that Vaeda needed an evaluation and she is absolutely old enough.
She’s 6 years old, she’s plenty old enough to be tested lol.
I agree! I took my daughter to get assessed when she was 6 (in 2018- for adhd) and was dismissed. Tried again when she was 11 and finally got listened to. My youngest I took him at 3 (2021) to be assessed and he was diagnosed so easily. (Asd and adhd) their dad was diagnosed with asd the same year (2023) as our daughter.
Not necessarily. I was diagnosed at age 4, but this was after losing speech at age 2. This was in 1999.
Next he’ll be going through menopause.
Gimme fkn break dude.
Get a job. Pay your taxes.
Seriously, he has more excuses for not wanting to work for living than Amber.
I’M CACKLING 🤣🤣🤣🤣… U win Friday for me MENOPAUSE 💀💀💀
I was also late diagnosed and the sadness part, where you think about how much the younger version of yourself was hurt because the diagnosis hadn’t been made yet, I don’t think that really ever goes away. You just learn to live with it and to do things that help heal younger you. You do get moments where that sadness comes back up, but it gets easier to deal with as time goes on. I usually use the sad memories as motivation for doing the right thing by my kids, making sure they are taken care of the way I wasn’t. I think it’s really cute though that seeing the behaviors in his kid made him aware of his own autism. That’s the exact same thing that happened with me 🙂
I sincerely hope that Tyler and Catelynn get the meds they need and the healthy food they should eat. I believe that would make them feel so much better and in turn, benefit their daughters.
Personally I wouldn’t get tested for a diagnosis If I didn’t plan on doing some self work or therapy. I only eould want to go through that if something was troubling me and conventional treatment isn’t helping sufficiently. Why get a diagnosis and then go like “OK well, the more you know.” And leave it like that, you know?
Because there really aren’t many treatment options available for those who were late term diagnosed. It’s mostly geared to early intervention for children. It DOES make a difference knowing why you always felt different and why you had struggles that others didn’t have. Knowing things about yourself can only help, ya know?
Do they just sit around and google a bunch of mental illnesses then say they have them??? 🤦🏻♀️
Beats working for a living and taking responsibility for your own life in your thirties.
Some of these replies make me angry. There are many people who have multiple mental health disorders and seeing these replies is proof that we need to talk about mental health more. Autism isn’t being “overly diagnosed” as doctors just are getting better at understanding it and having better tools to diagnose. A lot of adults weren’t diagnosed as children so their getting tested now. Like me, I plan on getting tested for both Autism and ADHD myself.
Moving on, I can relate to him about his feelings about being diagnosed with Bipolar. I felt those feelings when I was told I had BPD. It just didn’t feel right. Not like how it felt when I was diagnosed with Social Anxiety; that felt right. It doesn’t hurt to get a second opinion either which I hope he does.
Oh Gid. Save us.. he’s got something new to bitch about
Im a mental health nurse wirh lots of experience. Altough rhere is a reason one should not diagnose without personal contact, i highly suspect he has any of the mentioned diseases/problems. I see him more of an immature, depressive type. Also he has bad coping skills, he sugarcoats the roots of his problems and treats everything else. I dont know the terminology in english but in german its „verdrängung“. Tyler, yes, you shpuld get treatment, but you should stop treating your excuses and behavioirs as not-changeable.
Do you think it’s possible that he is malingering? I don’t think it’s out of the realm of possibility.
Great Question! I don’t think he’s malingering on purpose. It seems more like he focuses on secondary issues to avoid the real ones, which can look like malingering. I do believe quite some of his suffering is real, but he needs to let the therapist guide him more and be consistent. I feel he often changes plans to avoid addressing the core problems. That makes it look like he’s not being genuine, but it’s more a defense mechanism than a lie. However, he is an adult and should really step up, i dont think therapists would not adress these mechanisms.
Needs to get real damn job quit with this nonsense. I’d be embarrassed to say this at 30 something years old. Talk bout thirsty for attention.
Both of them would have far fewer diagnoses if they actually had to work like normal people.
He is masking something alright…
@amanda ~ 💯🎯😉
Vaeda is 6 and they’re JUST NOW testing her?! Poor kiddo could’ve had years of intervention at this point in her life, and you know C&T aren’t going to follow through with any recommendations for therapies if she ends up with a diagnosis.
With a late ADHD diagnosis- I can identify with Tyler questioning how different his life could’ve been with this knowledge and possible treatments, but he has the opportunity to do this now for his own kid, and I truly hope he does.
I knew Vaeda was, she started showing signs of being on the spectrum at 3. Source: special needs teacher
Can’t wait to hear him start speaking for everybody with autism because y’all know he’ll be a leading expert in a couple months just like they are with adoption and everything else. 🙄
I’m sure he’s probably already got a ghostwriter to come up with the talking points he’s going to be spouting out on any low-budget podcast that will have him.
autism? 🙄
more like assh*lism.
also, someone needs attention. 🙄
Gross comment. There’s so much material with Tyler and thats what you chose?
Anything to make him front and center and not his kid
Is this an excuse to call his wife a heifer?
Hmmm. As someone who is also on the spectrum, I completely understand living unmedicated with your autism or ADHD diagnosis if you weren’t diagnosed until adulthood. Bipolar disorder is a whole different ballgame. You absolutely need medication to regulate your mood swings, otherwise you are subjecting everyone around you to your mood swings … Kind of like Tyler has done his whole life. I want to give him the benefit of the doubt here, but considering how self-centered he is as a person I could see his ego preventing him from taking bipolar meds and just continuing to treat everyone around him like garbage
very well said!
Was he also diagnosed with narcissistic personality disorder?
i swear catelynn and tyler treat having all these mental illnesses like getting the infinity stones
EXACTLY! I was like “Oh God, not another catastrophic ailment that they’ll slip into conversations over and over until the next diagnosis” ME ME ME ME
Spot on!!!
My husband and I call them Girl Scout badges. There are some people who collect diagnosis like they are filling out their sash.
Another day, another diagnosis. 🤷♀️
Don’t blame having autism with being an asshole.
These ass hats just collect mental health diagnoses as a hobby now. If this weren’t proof that autism is over diagnosed then I don’t know what is
1000% right! They might as well just have a team of psychiatrists move in with them.