NewsNation Anchor Leland Vittert Reveals Autism Diagnosis and Life Journey

Early Life and Diagnosis

• 👶 Leland Vittert, anchor of "On Balance" on NewsNation, revealed he is autistic.
• 🗣️ He did not speak until he was three years old and was referred for an evaluation at age five.
• 🧠 The evaluation indicated a significant difference in cognitive abilities, with genius-level scores on one half of an IQ test and lower scores on the other.
• 🤫 Although diagnosed with autism, his father chose to keep the diagnosis private.

Navigating Social and Emotional Challenges

• 🤝 Vittert shared that he had no friends growing up.
• 👨‍👦 His father quit his job to focus on his upbringing, teaching him how to navigate life and adapt socially and emotionally.
• 🗣️ Key lessons involved adapting social interactions and improving eye contact.
• 💪 His father emphasized that while character and hard work are controllable, other aspects of interaction would require modification.

Career and Personal Milestones

• 🎓 Vittert graduated from Northwestern University.
• 📺 He began his career in local news in Little Rock, later moving to Fox News, and is now an anchor at NewsNation.
• 💍 This year, he married his wife Rachel and published his memoir, "Born Lucky", which was his childhood nickname.
• 🧠 He acknowledges that he still faces daily and hourly struggles to remember the life lessons his father taught him.