What does it take for a child diagnosed with severe autism to defy the odds and become a prime-time news anchor?
In this raw episode of The Tara Palmeri Show, NewsNation's Leland Vittert shares the heart-wrenching story from his New York Times bestselling book Born Lucky. Diagnosed young with profound challenges—behavioral issues, sensory overload, and a 70-point IQ spread—Leland reveals how his parents rejected accommodations and victimhood, instead coaching him to adapt to the world through relentless dedication, role-playing social skills, and earning self-esteem the hard way. From brutal bullying and school expulsions to turning adversity into a journalism superpower, Leland challenges the politicized autism debate, calling for real science on rising diagnoses amid sacred cows like vaccines and misinformation. It's a gut-punch reminder of parental agency, hope over despair, and why kids aren't defined by labels.
How has the rise in autism diagnoses changed your view on parenting and science?
Born Lucky:
https://www.amazon.com/Born-Lucky-Dedicated-Grateful-Journey/dp/140025468X
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Tara Palmeri is one of the most feared and fearless reporters covering power and politics. She has 15 years of experience covering national politics and foreign affairs. She was formerly a White House Correspondent for ABC News where she covered the first Trump administration. She was the chief National Correspondent for POLITICO during the Biden administration. She has been a political analyst for CNBC, CBS and CNN. She started her career as a columnist for the Washington Examiner and then went on to report for the New York Post. She was a foreign correspondent for POLITICO Europe, where she covered international affairs, including Brexit. She hosted the Ringer's political podcast "Somebody's Gotta Win" and wrote a column for Puck. Tara also hosted two acclaimed podcasts on Jeffrey Epstein, "Broken: Jeffrey Epstein" and "Power: The Maxwells." Tara currently hosts the Tara Palmeri Show.
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He Could Barely Speak as a Child — Now He’s a National News Anchor
Chapters:
00:00 Welcome to the Tara Palmeri Show
00:32 Leland's Autism Diagnosis and Born Lucky
01:41 Promoting the Book and NYT Bestseller Debut
02:39 Turning Adversity into a Superpower
04:07 Victimhood vs Agency in Diagnoses
05:09 The Psychologist's Evaluation and Challenges
07:03 Parents' No-Accommodations Approach
08:19 How the Book Came to Be with Don Yeager
10:31 Coaching for Emotional Connection in Journalism
12:38 Family Struggles with Autism Labels
13:17 Bullying and School Expulsions
16:01 The Surge in Autism Diagnoses
17:48 Debating Causes and Better Surveillance
20:12 Misinformation and Sacred Cows in Science
23:24 Stigmatization of Autism Research
25:31 Father's Dedication and signals like the Watch
27:31 Convincing Dad to Share the Story
30:17 Role-Playing Social Skills for Lunch
32:24 Hope for Parents Beyond Labels
35:36 Earning Self-Esteem the Hard Way
38:12 Afterword and Mindset for Involved Parenting
41:31 Thanks for watching the Tara Palmeri Show
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The Tara Palmeri Show