Given the high rate of “something else” co-existing alongside autism, Dr. Breya Whitefield joins Chelsea as we dive into the nuances of neurodiversity, the implications of co-occurring conditions, and what families need to know to support their loved ones effectively. If you’ve heard the term "comorbidity" associated with someone with a primary diagnosis of autism, know you’re in good company.

Dr. Breya Whitefield is an Assistant Professor at the Medical College of Wisconsin who specializes in working with children, adolescents, and young adults with neurodevelopmental differences. She provides consultation and intervention for challenging behaviors that may not respond to traditional parenting strategies or outpatient mental health services. Her work focuses on helping families manage issues such as tantrums, aggression, noncompliance, sleep problems, toileting difficulties, and disruptive behaviors.

These previous episodes might provide more context for this topic:

• Episode 1: Intro https://www.buzzsprout.com/2437426/episodes/16400459
• Episode 2: Justus https://www.buzzsprout.com/2437426/episodes/16481603 
• Episode 3: Noey https://www.buzzsprout.com/2437426/episodes/16561565
• Episode 10: Mental Health & Autism https://www.buzzsprout.com/2437426/episodes/17193835 
• Episode 13: Puberty & Autism https://www.buzzsprout.com/2437426/episodes/17457609

Here are topics, terms, and resources, in order of their appearance in the podcast, might evoke some curiosity:

• In a study using a newly-developed diagnostic screener with autistic individuals, 91% of children/adolescents aged 8-17 and 31% of young adults aged 18-25 met criteria for one or more co-occurring diagnoses, including ADHD, depression, and anxiety. (Mosner et al, Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 2020) https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6669096/# 
• neurospicy
• “Autism and Suicide” from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention  https://afsp.org/autism-and-suicide/ 
• 988 for the Autism Community https://www.datocms-assets.com/12810/1721837899-988-information-for-the-autism-community_final-1.pdf 

Podcast includes an introduction for episodes 6 and following at the beginning. Transition music, "Taking a Vocation", by Noey Budde.

Closing narration for episodes 6 and following.