EXCEPTIONAL ADVOCATE
JP is… Just Fine! By Pam Mines
M
y son JP has autism and he is changing the world, but he has no idea. He has a law named after him in Virginia and the District of Columbia called “JP’s Law,” and he has a foundation named after him called the JP JumPers Foundation. He is the face of them both. JP has autism, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and intellectual disabilities, and he is the inspiration behind my advocacy. JP’s diagnoses are not all of who he is; they are only a part of him. He is kind, funny, and empathetic. He is a video gamer, a student, and a friend. He likes music, singing, and posing for pictures. He is our joy, our inspiration, and truly our gift. You see, we believe having a loved one with special needs is not
an accident, a punishment, or a curse; it is truly a gift from God, and we take this appointment seriously. I have a background in early childhood education and grew up with two childhood friends who have autism (when the ratio was one to 10,000). I was familiar with autism; it was easy for me to accept JP’s diagnosis and jump into advocating for him. But things were not that easy for my husband, Perry. Like many families who first learn of an autism diagnosis, he was in denial. This kind of denial seems to be particularly prevalent in the black community. We do not want labels on our children or loved ones because, you see, “My mom’s little cousin’s sister on her Daddy’s side acted just like that and he turned out just
Exceptional Needs Today | Issue 3 | 7
