Tyler Baltierra Reveals Autism Diagnosis on Podcast

Tyler Baltierra, the 33 year old reality television alum, said he was diagnosed with autism during the August 27 episode of the couple's podcast Cate Ty Break It Down, describing the news as both a relief and a source of sadness as he reconsidered a childhood of unanswered questions. Baltierra said the diagnosis — confirmed after he spoke with a clinician and completed testing — helped explain behaviors and mood swings he has long struggled to understand.

He told listeners he sought testing after noticing behaviors in his and wife Catelynn Baltierra's 6 year old daughter, Vaeda, that echoed his own childhood mannerisms. "I just saw so many things in Vaeda that I'm like, Oh my god, I get why she's doing that," he said on the podcast. "Small things that should not be a big deal are a huge deal to her." Those parallels prompted him to pursue evaluation he had never considered as a child.

Baltierra recounted growing up "a handful," saying he was kicked out of schools and multiple daycares and that his mother was focused on preventing meltdowns. For years he was treated for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and was also diagnosed with bipolar disorder, though he said that...