About The Puzzled Mom

The “short of it”:
The Puzzled Mom is a somewhat awkward, blunt parenting blog for moms and dads both on and off of the Autism Spectrum. You won’t find perfect here, but will find lots of Aspergers-related parenting anecdotes and what I’ve learned from them. And run-on sentences. Lots of those.
The full story…
I find it fitting that the symbol for Autism is a puzzle piece. Not because “the pieces don’t fit”–I don’t think we’re broken, just different. But because being someone with Asperger’s/Autism Spectrum Disorder can be like being in a state of constant puzzlement. Add being a Mom, especially for the first time, into the mix, and you have the perfect recipe for confusion cake. (When you figure out what this tastes like, let me know!). To add to this confusion, there is very little information to help “Aspie” parents, even though there’s an abundance of info for parents OF Autistic children. Being a Mom on the Spectrum, this is very frustrating and disheartening, in a world where I already feel a little alienated.
     It’s time we had a resource. This blog is for the confused, confounded, befuddled, baffled, bewildered, perplexed moms–and dads–on the Autism Spectrum out there who feel like they are alone in their situation. Non-autistic folk looking for some parenting anecdotes are welcome as well. I’ll post as regularly as I can, from the front lines of new-motherhood and with the perspective of a diagnosed Aspie with a lot to learn. Mostly on my discoveries and mistakes as I make them, and what I’ve hopefully learned from them, in the hopes that maybe you will stumble across this and not make those mistakes too. It won’t be sugar-coated because we all know life is not a piece of candy!
   This is also an open invitation! I’m looking for help…from other Aspies, in sharing your ASD-related parenting experiences both positive and negative, stories from the heart, and tips you’ve learned. Constructive advice and experiences from children of Aspie parents is also appreciated. I’m only one inexperienced mom–but together we can really make a difference!
So, Puzzled Parents…send in your experiences and help bring clarity to the other puzzled moms out there.

Feel free to email me at ron_gal@mail.com to ask me anything, chat or contribute to the blog!

DISCLAIMER:
I am not a doctor, just a first-time mother. Advice on this blog should not replace advice from medical professionals. Please consult a doctor first and foremost for any medical issues you may encounter.

Also, I’m aware of the revisions to the DSM-5 manual which remove the diagnosis of “Asperger’s Syndrome”, however since Asperger’s is widely recognized and many have already received that particular diagnosis prior to the manual revision, the term will continue to be used in the blog.

Veranuem is a no-nonsense mom, Christian and an artist with Asperger’s, living in the Midwestern Ozarks with her patient husband, spirited daughter, and crazy cat. When she isn’t covering “taboo” topics on her blog, she can be found drawing, wiping drool off of things, and peeling notes for her next post off of a glue trap (at 3 A.M.).

6 responses

  1. I just came across your essay on being a first time mom. I had many of the same experiences. I wasn’t diagnosed until my ASD son was already 9 years old. There were always similarities in he and I but I just chalked it up to being his mother. It was a blog like yours that led me to think I was on the spectrum too. I am. My life suddenly made sense. Thank you for sharing your experiences.

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    • Hi there Sara, thanks for reading! I’m glad you found something that helped you understand yourself better. That was a great relief when it happened to me. It seems more and more adults are finally receiving their diagnosis, and hopefully some understanding with it. I was lucky to be diagnosed at age 15, before motherhood, but many don’t find out until much later. Hopefully increased awareness of Autism in adults, and people like you and I sharing experiences, will change this! Do you recall the name of the blog that helped you? I’m collecting resources and I’d love to check it out.
      Also, if you would like to share any of your experiences in a guest post, I’d love to hear them! You can email me at thepuzzledmom@gmail.com if you’re interested. 🙂

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    • Hmm, I didn’t know there was a blogger’s award or that you had nominated this blog! Thank you for bringing this to my attention (and for the nomination) Kerry, I will check it out. 🙂

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  3. Puzzled Mom, your blog will soon be added to our Actually Autistic Blogs List (anautismobserver.wordpress.com). Please click on the “How do you want your blog listed?” link at the top of that site to customize your blog’s description.
    Thank you.
    Judy (An Autism Observer)

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