Puzzle of a Tattoo
July 18, 2007 by Kristina Chew, PhD
Filed under Health
While waiting in the waiting room prior to Charlie’s dentist appointment yesterday, a woman and her son entered, the son taller than his mother. The mother positioned his thin body before hers as she spoke to the receptionist: Her son had three cavities that needed to be filled. The mother held her son’s shoulders, sat him down next to me and stood over him as she searched through her wallet for her insurance card.
“My son’s autistic,” I said quietly.
“My daughter had to use my card yesterday and she still has it…….” she said.
I caught a glimpe of a dark blue puzzle piece: It was tattooed on her ankle. A more permanent way to promote autism awareness than a puzzle piece car magnet or a t-shirt…….
I don’t know if I’d have the guts to tattoo the puzzle piece on me. I have a lot of respect for this mom; she certainly has courage.
I have a friend who wants to get a puzzle piece tatooed on her somewhere. I have a smallish cartoon turtle tatoo to represent my husband (his favorite grandpa called him ‘turtle’) already and I am planning on getting a tatoo for each boy once I’ve lost the rest of my weight. I am waiting for inspiration of the right “representational” image to strike. We call the younger one “moose,” so that’ll probably be it, though a pair of happy dancing feet might be more him. Not sure about the older one yet. No puzzles for me. To this day, everytime I see the turtle (eventhough it is a little faded) I smile.
I’d rather go for The Diva’s Moebius ribbon, m’self, though I suspect it might be a bit too geeky for the Normals to understand, and hard to do as a tattoo, too.
(If I ever were to get a tattoo, which ain’t very likely.)
That’s not ‘guts’, it’s something else entirely. And I’m surprised to hear Kristina call that ‘promoting autism awareness’ too.
I really dislike those puzzle piece symbols that NTs use to symbolize “autism awareness”. It is insulting. Those symbols tell me that I am some sort of an enigma and that if I can rearrange the pieces correctly, then I will be perfectly normal.
I felt a lot of things when I saw this mother, her son, and the puzzle piece. I feel sympathy and community with parents, whatever our views about things. It has helped me to stop seeing my son as a “puzzle”—-I rather feel that I am the puzzle for him, and I have to seek to understand him on his terms. Her son was not having an easy time in the dentist’s waiting room, and I had a lot of feelings in me when I saw the puzzle piece tattoo—which was “promoting” one sort, one might say, of “autism awareness”—or not.
So I both feel in league with the mother mentioned, but my views on what autism is may well be different than hers (we did not converse)—I have to say, perhaps very different. A lot of ambivalent and contradictory feelins and thoughts were raised in me by seeing that puzzle piece tattoo, is what I’m trying to say.
I am a NT mom of a child on the spectrum and mostly agree with Ron re: the puzzle piece. However, I also respect that some people might not have the same views as me nor the access to information that I have and so to this mother, the puzzle tattoo is perhaps an expression of love for her son. I have to respect that.
Life is a puzzle. You continue to add pieces to the picture until you are “done”. You connect your pieces to other pieces to create a larger picture. You never see the final picture.
The tattoo you saw is just another Rorshach Test. You saw what you wanted to see.
As it is, being out and about with Charlie is among the best ways to promote autism awareness. Thanks to Amanda and Ron Lovejoy for the reminders.
Interesting to see this string. This past week I had a puzzle piece tattooed on my upper right arm. It was an incredible experience. My reasons for doing it had very little to do with raising the social awareness of autism. Getting any tattoo is a personal decision, that has numerous reasons.
If I’m getting a tattoo, it’s going to be a frog. If I’d lost my bellybutton in the surgery to fix my abs (carrying big twins to 38 weeks can really do a number on a body!), I’d have gotten it in the bellybutton spot. Having a little green frog where a bellybutton should be would be quirky, to say the least.
(But I still have my bellybutton, for which I am very happy!)
I am going to get a puzzle piece tatto this week. I am getting three pieces on my side in the colors of my college. Autism is a very important aspect of my life and I want to keep the pasion I feel for it now alive in me forever. I think getting the tattoo will be just the trick.
I just recently got a puzzle piece tattoo on my hip. I had always wanted to get one, but was never inspired to do so, until Preston came into my life. I came across this site purely by accident while researching ideas for adding to the single puzzle piece- and I have to say, I am shocked to see so much thought on the subject. Personally, I had never seen a puzzle piece tattoo before. But I am glad to see that others share my passion. Not so much for the ‘awareness’ aspect, but for loving someone so much that I would go through that discomfort to always be reminded of that love. My son is a puzzle, but he is also hysterically funny, loving, sensitive and SO many other things. This just seemed to be the best way to sum it all up.
The only problem I face now, is what to add to this design to equally show my love for my daughter Peighton?
If my son has to live with Autism….SO WILL I. Every day I am reminded of how special my son is and how strong he has made me by my tattoos of puzzle pieces. I now have 2.
I love the idea of the puzzle piece, i have a a nephew and his autistic. I always wanted to get a tattoo that was meaningful to me and never really found anything to do, i love the idea and will really concider doing a puzzle piece myself
I feel an unspoken bond with people out there who have loved ones who are autistic (my 10 year old son is). I am amazed at him everyday and thank God for sending him into my life. In many ways his birth saved me. He is my source of strength and he doesn’t even realize it. If I do decide to get a tattoo dealing with autism awareness and someone doesn’t like it then they can just look away!
My son is 10 too and I know what you mean by that bond—-it transcends so much else.
If I had tattoos to represent my daughters, I would choose butterflies.
Regan, that’s lovely.
My planned frog tattoo would cover honoring my daughter (but I’m planning it in a spot that wouldn’t normally be visible), which would just leave me to figure out things for my 2 sons.
I have three foot prints on my back to represent each child. But i am getiing a strand of puzzle pieces around my ankle because my bond with my sons. I have one who is 4 and one who is 18 months. The four year old has Pdd-nos and my other son is carbon copy.
I am also thinking of gettin above it “My son isnt misbehaveing but I have no excuse”
I have Asperger’s, and unlike many, am NOT offended by the puzzle pieces. Puzzles mean more to me than what is most often mentioned. Being a visual thinker, a puzzle is something I can usually solve fairly well. It also means that YOU are puzzled by ME. (I’m standing right there, behind your back with an evil grin on my face.) Puzzles mean yet another thing to me: Fun.
And Mikki, I suggest spelling “misbehaving” correctly. There is no e.
“My son isn’t misbehaving, but I have no excuse.”
Sorry about the spelling. Give me a break. I have three children and a very full plate. (like most people do) I think of a puzzle for everyone it is called life.
I make my own share of typos (even after proof-reading) — the spirit’s the thing. And I often think of how I puzzle Charlie.
Oh I just meant before you get that tattoo, as it would be embarrassing to have a spelling mistake permanently on you! Also, it just my own pedantry and obsessions.
it’s … Even I do it. I admit. Typos are the bane of modern man.
I have realy bad spelling, on top of that I try to type as fast as I think. LOL
i have 5 puzzle peices on my right forarm.inside eack peice is a letter .spelling out my daughters name.this tattoo means allot to me.since we found out jenna has autism .(she was 2 1/2) it has been a big part of our lives.i think of it as promoting autism awerness.and its going to be a reminder of what we went through.because we are going to pull her from that world into ours.
My husband got a puzzle piece tattooed on his neck about a month ago. Our son who is almost 7 years old has Aspergers. My daughter who is 20 months has alot of the same developmental delays he did but she is not diagnosed yet. We get alot of comments about his tattoo, all just asking what it means. My husband was proud to show the tattoo and to educate others about autism when they ask. It is surprising to me how many people still don’t really know what it is. Hey does anyone have pictures of their tattoos? I would love to see them!
I have a quick question… I want to get a tattoo representing autism but am kinda confused… should i get the blue puzzle piece which is the symbol for Autism Speaks, or the Autism Awareness ribbon with all of the puzzle pieces in it? At first i was going to get just the blue puzzle piece, but i realized it was for the organization, and i want to represent the whole thing, not just that one organization.
Any help is greatly appreciated
I like the one here:
http://www.geocities.com/autistry/oddizms.html
I concur with saq, just above, as I wrote further above. To repeat, I think that Oddizm’s Moebius Rainbow Ribbon is way cool, but hard to do as a tatoo, and also too subtle for most people.
I’ve seen people with the blue puzzle piece; I do associate it with Autism Speaks. The perhaps ultimate puzzle piece tattoo is Bill Davis’ over much of his chest—-he wrote Breaking Autism’s Barriers.
I have one tattoo already. It is a heart with a star above and below it. On my right ankle. The heart represents love and life, the stars are goals and dreams. I got it when my Autistic son started preschool last Feb. I want to get another one on my left ankle. I have seen many rosary styles that go around the ankle and down the foot. Instead of a cross I was going to put a puzzle. The way I view it, the puzzle represents something we do not fully understand, and each piece is important, and there are missing pieces to the answer. Michael is just one piece of a puzzle we are trying to solve.
I have a puzzle piece heart tattoo. All the pieces are brightly colored and there is one piece missing from the center.
I have a non-profit org for kids with autism and I am also the mother of a child with autism and i am currently looking to get a tatoo on my footof a turtle with the shell being the puzzle pieces…I think its great to show your support for the awareness in such an artistic way,,
I am thinking of getting a tattoo that would express the meaning and purpose that autism brings to my life. Although I do not have an autistic child nor any children for that matter, I have surrounded myself with the love and joy of autistic children. I landed a wonderful job where I get the pleasure of working with them each and evey day. For this reason, I am thinking of getting a tattoo of a dove with the autism ribbon in its mouth. The dove would be shaded with gray representing the peace that should come with autism meanwhile the gray will stand for the unknown and the dark sides of this disease. Meanwhile the ribbon will be done in different shades of blue!!
Rachel, I think that tattoo idea is beautiful. My goddaughter has autism and I plan on getting a tattoo of the autism ribbon with a puzzle piece hanging from it either on my wrist or ankle so it looks like a bracelet with the word hope above it in the next month or two. I think tattoos are a beautiful representation of your inner thoughts and beliefs. I have one of the breast cancer ribbon on me already to honor my mom, who is a survior.
I now have six tattos that go up my side. I don’t have a child with Autism, but I have been working with them for 6 years now. Autism is my passion in life and these children are such precious gifts. I plan on adding a puzzle piece for every year that I devote my life to the cause.
I want a black swallowtail tattoo when I publish a novel.
Or when I turn 30 in August if I can get the money and someone who will make it look REAL.
When I have kids, maybe I’ll get ink for them. Or a pocket watchfor each. An old one.
I recently got my son’s name with interconnecting puzzle pieces encircling my ankle. I had the two pieces in his favorite color (purple) and the other pieces in the colors of the autism ribbon.
my baby girl has been diagnosed with autism we found out 2 years ago. and i already have her name across my chest in cursive and i have a tribal angel on both sides of her name looking back, like if they are watching over her…
i like the puzzle peice idea for a tattoo.. of coarse not everyone does, but to each his or her own..
@jay, it sounds really nice to have her name and the angel and April’s using her son’s favorite color, that sounds perfect!
@Synesthesia, so how far are you on this novel…..
Well, not very far. There’s at least 2 other novels I want to write. It’s taken me almost a decade just to shape the characters and plot right, but it would be nice if by some fluke I could finish it this year…
Then move on to the next ones.
i love the idea of getting tattoos for something you believe in. lor something that means alot to you. such as supporting someone with autism.
i am 17 and have a 14 yr old brother with Aspergers. for my 18th birthday i plan to get a tattoo of four puzzle pieces. one of each of the colors on the autism ribbon. three of the pieces will be connected and the other will be off to the side.
to me this tattoo will mean alot. people with any type of special need are my passion. the autism puzzle tatto symbolizes all of the people in this world who aren’t understood by the rest of the world.
i plan on becoming a therapeutic riding instructor for special needs. and my puzzle tatoo will symbolzie not only my brother but yet all of the students i will encounter in my lifetime.
I am getting the Autism Puzzle Ribbon on the inside of my left ankle VERY SOON! I can’t wait. I already have a tattoo in the middle of my upper back and one on the inside of my right wrist. My tattoo artist is ready to do the ribbon for me. My son is Asperger’s and I have a niece and nephew that have severe and moderate ASD!
im getting 2 tattoo puzzle pieces on my shoulder blades that looks like they are sewn like a patch because my little brother is autistic and i want something that will always be with me that is apart of him.
i have a 4 year old daughter with autism. I recently got a tattoo across the top of my foot of three puzzle pieces one is red, the next is red yellow and blue pieces inside one, and the third is blue. I love it!!
Im only 16 and i reeeallly want a tattoo and my brother has autism. My parents told me they would only allow it if i i get a tattoo that has meaning… so i thought for ever and i got the autism ribbon tattooed on my ankle with my brothers name across it and i absolutley love it! And my brother loves to show it off.. lol :]
my daughter she is 4 years old. she has autism!im gonna get the autism symbol on my arm.i only get tattoos that have a meaning. i have not seen anyone yet with an autism tattoo. i would really like to. i seen that someone said “thats not a good way of promoting autism”…. well that is not promoting autism. i would be getting that for my daughters sake.just something to resemble her that i can look at everyday.her autism is a very big part of her. she is an amazing person inside and out.
The ribbon and puzzle piece is designed with autism awareness in mind and the puzzle piece is seen by the autism community with a focus on children. The puzzle reference to autism is that there is so many unknowns when it comes to autism in terms of causes, treatments, therapy and such that a puzzle fits pretty well. Each and every day there are ups and downs depending on a variety of factors and if you shake up a puzzle the pieces get mixed up and you have to start over…so a puzzle works. I have worked with children and adults on the autism spectrum and I do not feel that the puzzle piece or ribbon is offensive. I feel that it represents the spectrum very accurately.