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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Teaching Children to Do Hard Things, with Leland Vittert

ManTalks Podcast

Teaching Children to Do Hard Things, with Leland Vittert