George Will on 'Born Lucky': Parental Love, Autism, and the Politicization of Challenges

The Power of Parental Love

• 💡 Parental love is described as a mountain-moving force, often taken for granted but essential when facing the challenges of raising a child with a disability.
• 🎯 The book "Born Lucky" highlights the extraordinary effort required from parents, especially when the nature and severity of a child's handicap are initially unknown.

Navigating Autism and Uncertainty

• 🧩 Autism is characterized by profound uncertainties that can be tormenting for parents, from understanding the cause to determining the best course of action.
• 📈 The diagnosis rate for autism has significantly increased, from 1 in 2,000 in the mid-80s to 1 in 31 today, raising questions about the causes.

The Politicization of Autism

• ⚠️ The search for the cause of autism, which should be a scientific question, has become a political issue, exacerbated by the internet and past associations with vaccines.
• 🗣️ George Will notes that in the age of the internet, nearly everything becomes politicized, making honest conversations about complex issues like autism difficult.
• 🔬 Experts have found the search for answers to the rise in autism challenging due to pre-existing political narratives and sensitivities.

Beyond Diagnosis: Potential and Optimism

• 🌟 The book "Born Lucky" is presented not as a prescription or cure, but as proof that children, regardless of their challenges, possess untapped potential.
• 🚀 Leland Vittert shares his personal experience with his son, highlighting how self-fulfilling optimism and mainstreaming individuals with disabilities can lead to wonderful outcomes, contrasting with past low life expectancies.
• 🚫 The discussion contrasts self-fulfilling optimism with self-fulfilling pessimism, where fatalism can prevent parents from exploring what can be done to shape a child's development.