Leland Vittert, anchor of "On Balance" on NewsNation, is revealing that he is autistic.
NewsNation anchor Leland Vittert has been living with a secret.
Vittert, host of "On Balance," is revealing that he is autistic. Vittert did not speak a word until he was 3. At age 5, he was referred to an evaluation, which included an IQ test. "On half the IQ test, I was genius. And on half the IQ test, in the parlance of the day, I was mentally retarded," Vittert tells Inside Edition.
He was diagnosed with autism, but his dad wanted to keep the diagnosis private. Vittert says growing up, he had no friends. His dad quit his job to devote himself to his son's upbringing and teach him how to navigate life. "Dad had to teach me how to adapt socially and emotionally to the real world," Vittert says.
After graduating from Northwestern University, Vittert landed his first job in local news in Little Rock, Arkansas. Five years later, he was hired at Fox News. Now, he is a popular anchor at NewsNation.
This year, Vittert got married and published his memoir, "Born Lucky."
Lucky was his childhood nickname.
For an excerpt, click HERE.
Taken from Born Lucky: A Dedicated Father, A Grateful Son, And My Journey With Autism by Leland Vittert with Don Yaeger. Copyright © 2025 by Leland Vittert. Used by permission of Harper Horizon, a division of HarperCollins Focus, LLC. www.harpercollinsfocus.com/
