NewsNation Anchor Leland Vittert Discusses Living with Autism in 'Born Lucky'

Childhood Struggles with Undiagnosed Autism

• 😔 Leland Vittert recounts his childhood experiences with autism, describing it as "hell" due to communication difficulties and severe bullying.
• 🏫 He shares an anecdote where a PE teacher had to place him with the girls to protect him from bullying by the boys.
• ⚠️ Another instance involved a principal telling his parents that everyone, including herself, thought he was "weird."

Father's Approach to Adaptation

• 🧠 Vittert's father chose to adapt him to the world rather than expecting the world to adapt to him, avoiding special accommodations.
• 📚 His father believed that the world would not accommodate him later in life, so he focused on teaching Vittert social constructs and emotional empathy.
• 🤝 This approach involved teaching him to understand subtle social cues, which were initially elusive to Vittert.

Learning Social Cues Through Mentorship

• 🍽️ Vittert's father took him to lunch regularly, acting as his primary friend and mentor.
• ⏱️ A key teaching method involved his father tapping his watch as a signal for Vittert to stop talking or bookmark a topic.
• 🗣️ He learned to understand what others wanted to talk about, rather than interrupting with his own interests, like government shutdowns.

Public Conversation on Autism

• 📈 Vittert notes the significant increase in autism diagnoses, from one in 1200 when he was diagnosed to one in 31 today.
• 🗣️ He expresses gratitude that the conversation around autism is happening, hoping it prevents other children from experiencing similar struggles.
• 📖 His book, "Born Lucky," aims to offer hope to parents of children who are struggling with developmental challenges.