I sit down with Leland Vittert to talk about his childhood diagnosis of autism and the extraordinary role his father played in shaping his resilience. We explore why removing adversity from children often backfires, and how discipline, honesty, and responsibility can become acts of love. This conversation isn’t about romanticizing struggle, it’s about learning how to do hard things and refusing to be defined by limitations.
SHOW HIGHLIGHTS
00:00 - Introduction
02:10 - Autism Diagnosis and Early Childhood
05:40 - A Father’s Radical Commitment
08:05 - Growing Up Without Friends
10:55 - Self-Esteem Outside School and Sports
13:20 - Why Adversity Was Never Removed
17:30 - Learning You Can’t Be Broken
20:05 - Living With Autism as an Adult
23:45 - Discipline Versus Accommodation
27:00 - Teaching Social Skills Deliberately
30:40 - Protection, Trust, and Character
34:50 - Letting Kids Become More
39:35 - Discipline as Strength
45:10 - Parenting Without Expectations
48:10 - Final Reflections and Where to Find Leland
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