The Puzzle Piece: A History of Controversy in Autism Advocacy

For years, the puzzle piece has been a symbol associated with autism awareness and advocacy. But the use of this symbol has long been a subject of controversy in the autistic community. To understand why, it's important to look at the history of the puzzle piece and its associations with autism.

The origins of the puzzle piece as a symbol for autism advocacy are unclear, but it is widely believed to have been introduced in the 1960s by the National Autistic Society (NAS) in the United Kingdom. At the time, the NAS's logo featured a crying child within a puzzle piece, with the implication being that the child was "missing" or incomplete. The use of the puzzle piece seemed to suggest that autism was a puzzling, complex condition that needed to be "solved."

For many autistic people, the use of the puzzle piece remains problematic. They argue that it reinforces harmful stereotypes about autism and perpetuates the idea that autistic people are "puzzles" to be solved or fixed.

Another concern with the puzzle piece is its association with organizations like Autism Speaks, which has a controversial history of promoting harmful practices like Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy and seeking a "cure" for autism. The puzzle piece is prominently featured in Autism Speaks' branding, leading many autistic people to associate it with a negative and harmful approach to autism advocacy.

In recent years, there has been a growing movement within the autistic community to retire the puzzle piece as a symbol for autism advocacy. Instead, advocates have proposed alternative symbols like the infinity symbol, which represents the infinite diversity and complexity of the autistic community.

Now, there have been cases of marginalized communities reclaiming harmful language or symbols, like the 2SLGBTQIA+ community reclaiming the word queer, a word which was used for years as a slur against us, but who's origins started within the queer community itself. This has NOT happened with the puzzle piece, and the puzzle piece is almost unilaterally rejected as a hate symbol within the self advocating autistic community.

But retiring the puzzle piece as a symbol is not enough. It's important to also address the harmful attitudes and beliefs that the puzzle piece represents. This means recognizing that autism is not a puzzle to be solved, but a neurological difference that is an integral part of who we are as individuals. It also means centering the voices and perspectives of autistic people in all aspects of autism advocacy, from awareness to policy.

The puzzle piece has a long and complicated history in autism advocacy. While it has been used to raise awareness and promote acceptance, it also reinforces harmful stereotypes and is associated with controversial organizations. Retiring the puzzle piece as a symbol is a positive step, but true progress will only be made by changing our attitudes and approaches to autism advocacy to be more inclusive and centered on the experiences of autistic people themselves.

Hey, while you’re hear, be sure to check out my Etsy shop where I sell prints of my paintings, all canvas prints are 10% off during Autism Acceptance Month (April). Ditch the puzzle piece and grab some art by an autistic artist to show your love for the autistic community.