Why is autism puzzle pieces

Example: one mother told me that for her it represented the missing pieces of her life that her child filled in for her. The interlocking pieces represent the unknowns of autism. Understand we are talking about autism itself, not any individual who may be diagnosed.

So again, the pieces speak to the condition of autism itself, not to any specific individual who has it. The different colors of the puzzle pieces represent the vast diversity of the autism spectrum.

Everything from the most severe cases to those who are wildly successful. From those who have an interest here to those who have another interest there. The young to the old, the cruel to the kind, the talkative to the non-verbal. Those with IEPs and those without. Those in the institutions and those who live independently. Those who are finding their way and those who are not.

And everyone anywhere in between all of these things. All are included, no one is left out. It is an equal opportunity symbol. Not all of these flaws can be solely placed on the back of the puzzle piece symbol, but it reinforces them.

It creates a world where autism is something to be aware of when a person is age 0 through 17 and then forgotten about once they turn The second major issue with the puzzle piece is what it insinuates. A puzzle piece is part of something unfinished. A puzzle piece by itself inherently means that the puzzle is incomplete. It implies that we are not complete people, that autism is something to be ashamed of because it means we are missing a piece of ourselves.

I saw it in the way I struggled to learn how to connect with other kids growing up, and I see it in how hard I work to get through social situations every day. Those differences have created roadblocks in my life but have also helped me get to where I am today.

I am the person I am thanks to being autistic, both the good and the bad that comes with it. Symbols have power. I am an openly gay man, and I remember the first time I went to Pride in , and I saw so many people decorate themselves with the symbol of the rainbow. The puzzle piece symbols used for autism do not do that.

It is an infinite number of people presenting an endless number of different lived experiences. When we use the puzzle piece as the symbol for autism, it tells autistic people not to embrace their experiences but instead be ashamed of them until hopefully, someone comes by one day with the missing piece that fixes us.

But why do we use it? The puzzle piece was first used in by the National Autistic Society. The symbol transcends the organizations that use it and many have their own take on the look. For example, Autism Speaks uses the puzzle piece ribbon , which is infused with meaning that is important to them and to the community abroad. The puzzle piece is used for two reasons: because the complexity of the way that people with autism view the world and interact with their surroundings is seen as a mystery by some, although that tends to be the antiquated reason for the puzzle piece use.

Perhaps a better symbolism would be because the cure for autism is the missing piece of the puzzle. When people wear or display the puzzle piece, they support the effort to see that missing puzzle piece found. At Lexington Services, the puzzle piece can be seen as representative for the unique workings of the mind, but it can also represent the individuals that we encounter, each with their own unique shape that fits together to complete a complex picture.

People that dislike the use of the puzzle piece do not like being perceived as less-than, mysterious, or somehow incomplete as if they should strive to become neurotypical.

In the age of neurodiversity, people with autism are not the marginalized community they once were and more people have accepted that autism is not a puzzle to be solved.