JP is… Just Fine!

By Pam Mines

My 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

I decided I did not need to wait for tragedy to happen to initiate positive change. I needed to be proactive instead of reactive; I wanted you to know who JP is, not who he was because he was shot and killed due to a lack of understanding about his diagnosis and the behaviors related to it.

fine,” or you hear, “We gonna pray for that child and believe me, he will be just fine.” You’re also told, “Don’t worry about it…he’ll grow out of it and be just fine.” The reason for this denial is because being black already makes you a minority, and when you have a special needs diagnosis, you are now a minority within a minority. In the black community, that is SCARY!

Once I realized my husband’s struggles, I didn’t dismiss them; I embraced them. I knew there would be many emotions he would go through when learning this diagnosis (as did I). The feelings of anger, embarrassment, guilt, and sadness had to be felt and expressed to ultimately reach the reality of acceptance. I knew he had to mourn the son he didn’t have and accept the one he did. One day I left a short, one-paragraph explanation of what autism was on his pillow. After reading it, this sports-loving Dad understood his son might not be in Little League, but he could be in the Miracle League. It may not be the Olympics, but it would be the Special Olympics. He understood our son could do anything he wanted…it just may be a modified version to meet his needs and abilities. Now our son is an athlete (and a great teammate) competing in softball, basketball, ice skating, roller skating, and track/field. Watching our son do the same things his typically developed peers could do gave us concern he may also have the same outcome as other black males when innocently interacting with law enforcement. We knew he would not be able to effectively communicate when approached; would his encounter end tragically like so many before him, or would he walk away unharmed? He is a black male with autism who, at a glance, presents as a typically developed teenager—not an atypical one.

I decided I did not need to wait for tragedy to happen to initiate positive change. I needed to be proactive instead of reactive; I wanted you to know who JP is, not who he was because he was shot and killed due to a lack of understanding about his diagnosis and the behaviors related to it. In 2014, I initiated “JP’s Law” in Virginia. “JP’s Law” allows individuals to voluntarily add an innocuous code to their Virginia-issued driver’s license and/or identification card, noting they have autism or an intellectual disability. This initiative was a collaborative effort. The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, State Police, Local Police, Self-Advocates, Community Leaders, and Legislators came together to create the law as well as the code, ensuring it was something easy for law enforcement to remember, learn, and understand. In April of 2019, the District of Columbia (our nation’s capital) adopted JP’s Law as

well. Now more than 2,000 individuals have this specialized ID across VA and DC.

JP’s limited cognitive ability does not allow him to understand the impact of this law. He can’t explain it, he can’t converse about it, and he can’t answer questions related to it. He only knows it is named after him and that he gets to take pictures and do interviews on TV with Mom, where he talks about being in Special Olympics. And he is fine with all of that. The beauty of “JP’s Law” is that it will impact those with high and limited cognitive ability, those who drive and those who don’t, children and adults. The goal is to make “JP’s Law” a national law, as we are sure it will save lives.

In 2017, then-Senator Kamala Harris talked with Holly Robinson-Peete about creating a law for individuals with autism that allowed them to add a code on their driver’s license or identification card, noting they had this diagnosis. Harris agreed with the need for this change and that it would save lives. Knowing that three years earlier, I had already done this unanimously through the Virginia General Assembly confirmed the reality and importance of making “JP’s Law” a national law for all.

Via our new President Joe Biden’s Disability Coalition, there is a renewed interest and commitment to amending our laws, policies, and culture to ensure full inclusion for those with disabilities in the United States in all parts of our society. Making “JP’s Law” a national law will do just that.

JP is 16 years old and in the 10th grade. He was diagnosed with a developmental delay at 14 months, autism at two years old, ADHD at 10 years old, and an intellectual disability at 16 years old. He didn’t talk until he was three years old. He was not fully potty trained until he was almost seven years old. He still can’t tie a knot (or his shoes). He reads and spells well; he likes art, is a good friend, and is a wonderful person. He is the face of “JP’s Law” and the JP JumPers Foundation charity, and he’s taller than his Dad. He is a high schooler, enjoys being an athlete, and he loves to smile. In all of what he can and cannot do, he is our JP, and he is…just fine!

Pam Mines is a wife, mother, author, entrepreneur, special needs advocate, lawmaker, and low-key comedian. This Virginia native is a passionate champion for families with differently-abled loved ones and the community as a whole. Her passion is largely because her son JP has autism and she wanted him and others like him to feel supported and seen. Her out loud, out front, and out of control advocacy has raised awareness across the country for this unseen community. She is an out of the box thinker who gets things done with her jovial approach and positive outlook about a very serious subject. She reminds us that having a loved one with special needs is something you’re chosen for, which led to her first children’s book titled God Chose Me. Pam prides herself on being a contributing voice for the special needs community, but not the only voice. Website: www.PamMines.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PamMMines Instagram: @PamMMines Twitter: https://twitter.com/PamMMines YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/PamMMines