Autism Awareness

Autism is No Puzzle

By Saleena Hickey

People try to raise awareness of Autism in many ways. One way is the use of a symbol like the puzzle pieces. Although the organization that created them has said, “The puzzle piece signifies the complexity of the Autism Spectrum,” they are offensive to some people with Autism. Autistic people reject the puzzle piece symbol for multiple reasons, but the main reason is that it’s infantilizing is that it promotes the mentality that Autistic people are incomplete or are missing parts of themselves, and it treats Autism as a disease that needs to be treated or cured. So if you want to raise awareness for Autism in your own way, consider not using the puzzle pieces. Alternatives include a butterfly, infinity symbol, or clasped hands.