Montoya Rogers Talks About Puzzle Mom and Her Parenting Journey (S1E08)

On this week’s episode, Montoya Rogers is back to share her personal parenting journey raising her autistic son. We talk about her journey to acceptance and the path she followed to help her son. We also discuss her non-profit, Puzzle Mom. Based in Columbus, Ohio, Puzzle Mom is devoted to empowering mothers of minority children diagnosed with autism.

About Montoya Rogers:

Montoya L. Rogers is a Community Marketing Representative for CareSource of Ohio. Montoya is a licensed Health & Life insurance agent. She has successfully sustained a 10+ year career in the health insurance industry. As an avid leader, Montoya has a passion for serving the community and helping others. She is a trailblazer and a dynamic advocate for the nonprofit industry.

Montoya was born in Columbus, Ohio. She graduated from Reynoldsburg high school. She obtained her Community Health Worker certification from The Ohio State University. Montoya is the proud mother of two children Amya and Tre. Tre was diagnosed with Autism at the age of six. While navigating the diagnosis and advocating accommodations for her son, Montoya founded the non-profit organization Puzzle Mom. The mission of Puzzle Mom is to empower minority mothers of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, to become effective advocates for their children through education, support, and community resources. Montoya is committed to create autism awareness within under-served communities throughout Ohio.

Mentioned in this Episode:

Camp Nuhop:

Camp Nuhop in Perrysville, OH offers a summer camp experience for all, specializing in neurodivergent youth. They welcome young people aged 6-29 who are Autistic, have ADHD, learning and/or developmental disabilities, as well as emotional and behavioral health challenges. 

Camp Nuhop maintains a 3-8 staff-to-camper ratio to ensure both safety and that each camper's unique needs are met. Camp Nuhop's traditional camp is an ideal option for new campers. It provides a classic American summer camp experience, including activities like hiking, swimming, canoeing, team building, field games, and sleeping under the stars. 

The staff at Camp Nuhop is committed to promoting social and emotional development among campers. They understand the importance of being flexible and meeting campers where they are.

Limited, partial camperships are available. Social agency and waiver funding are also accepted. For more information about the camp, funding options, or anything else, please visit their website at www.Nuhop.org.

Social Cipher:

I'm really excited to share a great new video game we just played in my house, called Ava and it was created by a company called Social Cipher. Social Cipher’s mission is to represent and empower Neurodivergent youth by teaching self-advocacy skills and self-confidence through Social Emotional Learning. 

This amazing game follows Ava, an autistic space pirate, as she navigates her way through social challenges, self-doubt, and connecting with her community. Ava is helping kids in over 220 schools and therapy centers across 6 countries build the social-emotional skills they need to better navigate everyday life.! 

Social Cipher is excited to share that they have just released a brand new game mode, called World Builder. World Builder lets players design and create their own fantasy world while exploring the building blocks of social-emotional learning. It’s time to design a world with your own creative and adventurous spirit whether it's building a home, a pirate ship, or anything else you can dream up! 

Visit https://www.socialciphergame.com/ and use...