Virtual reality helps Black autistic youth discuss depression

A Boston College professor has developed a new virtual reality (VR) tool to help Black youth on the autism spectrum discuss depression and other mental health issues.
Ed-Dee Williams, Ph.D., MSW, says his interest in the area was inspired by his older brother, who is autistic. “I really want to bring a better understanding to how Black autistic youth experience depression, and improve access to services and support,” he said.
Research published by the National Library of Medicine noted that the rate of clinical depression is approximately 12% higher among Black autistic youth than their white autistic peers.
In 2023, for the first time, Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network data reported by the CDC shows that the p...