Reality Not As Awful – Always Love is Better Than Hate

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

Reality Not As Awful – Always Love Is Better Than Hate

“Story of My Life”  2023 (age 27)

Love has so many friends to support non-speaking autistics like me.  Love is the most important interest in my heart.

Not most get to have control over my own body. Need so much help. More autism helpers most need only love. Not always helpers’ reality. Have to work on that.  Having autism most not my fault, really hate when my helpers not have a most loving mindset. Dealing hateful mindsets is hell on earth.

Dealing my own hateful mindset my autism. Hate only stays if helpers hate it too. Interest in autism love mindset. Not have interest in autism gets old when you don’t have a choice. I HAVE to have interest in autism. It is my life reality.

Hard having a different reality than most people. I only have wondered “how come?” so much that it has made me crazy.  I eager to have more peace with my autism. Most hardest part is how I see others not have interest in how it is to have autism and expect me not to have autism. Hard to explain to non-autistic people.

Good thing my mom is interested in autism and helps me meet with others who understand how hard it can be at times. How nice it feels to not have hate ruling my thoughts and heart. I still have more love than hate most of the time now. Good thing because hate is horribly destructive. Love is so much better! Too hard to love challenge hateful hearts, have no choice if life is to be enjoyed.

 

Jake McClintick is now 27 years old and has been learning to communicate using a letterboard since age 18. Learning the process of using a letter board through the Rapid Prompting Method (RPM) was a gradual process that took several years. We are still working on expanding RPM and Jake’s confidence/skills beyond our “work sessions.”  Regardless, this low-tech alternative communication system has been an answered prayer for us both.

At the age of 22 he began expressing his very personal thoughts and feelings more fluently with me (his mom), and it was his idea to begin writing “The Story of My Life” one day. He is diagnosed with severe autism as well as intermittent explosive disorder. He has given me permission to share his story and our conversations.

After watching Jamison’s story in May 2021 we also began connecting with the Spell to Communicate and some amazing peer mentors. We began learning about full-body apraxia, body coaching, and regulation tools which have helped us find new directions for progress and more peace in Jake’s life.

Jake continually expresses his desire to “find purpose” to his life…I hope his willingness to share will help others learn about this misunderstood condition known as “autism” that has so much to teach us all.