WHY YOU SHOULD NOT USE THE PUZZLE PIECE AS AN AUTISM SYMBOL 🚫🧩
As a person with ADHD, I’m going to be honoring ADHD awareness month by talking about autism because I prefer to talk about other people rather than myself apparently! 😃
So I was planning on doing a longer post but I’m mentally exhausted at this point (ADHD bro) so I’m just going to list the reasons instead. Also prepare for some informal language and well… yeah.
So! What’s wrong with the puzzle piece? Well…
1. Using a puzzle piece for autism infantilizes the condition.
I mean, this is just common sense. On their own, puzzle pieces are often associated with children's toys and games. It’s almost patronizing in a sense, as it suggests that autism is a “problem” or a “puzzle” that needs fixing.
Infantilizing autism can make individuals with the disorder feel belittled, marginalized, and stigmatized. It suggests that they cannot stand up for themselves. By infantilizing autism, the puzzle piece also perpetuates the belief that it is simply a childhood condition.
2. It’s one-dimensional and over-simplistic.
By using such a simple symbol to represent such a wide spectrum, the puzzle piece promotes stereotypes and misrepresentation. Autism does not have only one level or one way of presenting itself, but rather a wide variety of doing so.
The puzzle piece has a really bad history. One of the organizations most notorious for using the puzzle piece is Autism Speaks, which, despite its recent “change in heart” still does not fundamentally represent autism. Autism Speaks, when it was founded, was NOT made for people with autism, but rather the parents of children with autism. Earlier in its history, it spoke supporting of electric shock therapy as a treatment, and one of the people working there even mentioned her desire to kill her autistic daughter by driving off a bridge.
Though times might be changing, nobody can forget it’s awful history, nor all the awful things it has done. Autism Speaks still treats autism like a monster, not a part of who you are. There are so many less controversial organizations to support!
Oh, and also, there’s this. Made by Autism Speaks in 2009. It disgusts me.
⚠️ I do not recommend watching this if you are easily offended, triggered, or manipulated by these things. This is a disgusting video. Please be careful if you plan to view it. ⚠️
So yeah. The puzzle piece has a bad history, it’s oversimplistic, and it’s infantilizing. Using the puzzle piece as a symbol for autism promotes harmful beliefs and stereotypes, at both conscious and subconscious levels.
There are plenty of more acceptable-looking symbols being discussed at the moment, one of the most popular being the rainbow infinity symbol. It’s actually pretty cool!
Anyways, that’s all for now! Correct me if I’m wrong on anything. Love you, byeee! ❤️
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