The Puzzling Puzzle Piece

Nothing is Missing: Why the Puzzle Piece Needs Replaced

It seems every time we flip the calendar each month, a new awareness is taking place. In most cases, there is a symbol and a color associated with the topic to be aware of. For example, the ribbons that many groups, foundations, and organizations have adopted as symbols of support or awareness. As a result, various causes may often share the same, or similar, ribbon color or colors. With new awareness days, weeks, and months, and ribbon colors, designs and symbols being created for causes, conditions, and cancer awareness - there is a lot!!!

In 1963 Gerald Gasson of the National Autistic Society in the UK created a puzzle shaped logo about his child’s “puzzling condition” of Autism. It featured a child crying in the foreground and a green and black puzzle piece background. The intention was to represent the complexity and mystery surrounding Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). At the time, very little was known or understood about autism, so it was like putting together a puzzle and trying to understand the bigger picture, but to many this also displayed the notion that autism was a tragic disease that children suffered from.

The version of the Autism puzzle piece we see most often today is the Autism Awareness ribbon created by the Autism Society in 1999. With its different colors and combinations, for some, it better represents the diversity of people living on the autism spectrum. To directly quote the foundation, “The brightness of the ribbon signals hope - hope that through increased awareness of autism, and early intervention and access to appropriate services/supports, people with autism will lead full lives able to interact with the world on their own terms.” But in this context the statement “increased awareness of autism, and through early intervention” typically meant putting research and money into finding a cure and treatment for autism.

The debate and controversy on the appropriateness of the puzzle piece as a symbol for Autism is still going strong and the meaning behind the symbol still elicits very harsh reactions, both positive and negative. The puzzle piece symbol has faced significant criticism from the autistic community, and is viewed as infantilizing (prolonged treatment of one who is not a child, as though they are a child) and suggesting that individuals with autism are incomplete or missing pieces. This perception has led to the argument that it promotes the idea of autism as a problem to be solved or fixed. This symbol has also faced criticism from autism advocates, siting a historical link to eugenics (beliefs and practices that aim to improve the genetic quality of a human population), and the belief in fixing or curing autism is both harmful and stigmatizing.

The puzzle piece symbol has been highly criticized for its association with Autism Speaks, an organization that has been accused of promoting a negative view of autism and focusing on finding cures rather than accepting and supporting autistic individuals. In 2006, Autism Speaks began a campaign for autism awareness. In doing this, they ran a variety of advertisements on TV, which were later archived to YouTube. “I Am Autism,” can still be found on YouTube, a voice speaking about how autism ruins families and to directly quote the ad, “I (autism) work very quickly I work faster than pediatric AIDS, cancer, and diabetes combined and if you are happily married I will make sure your marriage fails your money will fall into my hands and I will bankrupt you for my own self-gain.” It is because of this many people with autism find the puzzle piece to be something they do not wish to represent them as it’s so deeply tied into Autism Speaks. I haven't supported this organization for many years now, as I believe they have only gone downhill.

So, what happens when the original symbol is no longer relevant or the public’s perception of that symbol changes? That’s exactly what has happened within the Autism community in recent years. Not only has the call been sounded to move away from the original symbol for awareness, but also to replace the word awareness with acceptance. A puzzle piece is a part of something unfinished, and a piece by itself means the puzzle is incomplete, which can imply that people with autism are somehow incomplete. In response to the many controversies surrounding the puzzle piece, new alternative symbols have been proposed and blasted across social media, the most popular two being the rainbow infinity symbol and the butterfly. The infinity symbol signifies the idea that autism is a broad spectrum, endless, and diverse and aims to celebrate the diversity of the autism community, focusing on acceptance and understanding, rather than on 'solving' or 'treating' autism. The butterfly represents diversity, inspiration, and the evolution of abilities within society. Both of these symbols emphasize the potential for growth and change in individuals with Autism, and combined they are a beautiful representation.

 

The term neurodiversity “refers to the concept that certain developmental disorders are normal variations in the brain. And according to Web MD, people who have these features also have certain strengths. Neurodivergent individual are not broken. They are not missing any pieces. They are simply built differently! Embrace them!!!!