The Autism Puzzle Piece: A Debated Topic
A jigsaw puzzle piece is perhaps the most commonly recognized symbol for autism and autism awareness. For decades, the image has appeared in the logos of large autism organizations, as well as in more general commercial representations of the disorder, and it has consequently come to be considered the principal symbol for ASD. Puzzle pieces are found all over the marketing materials for autism-related organizations, fundraisers, education materials, and more. Despite its wide recognition and longevity as a symbol for autism, however, the puzzle piece is a highly debated image in the greater ASD community.
History
The puzzle piece was first used to represent autism in 1963 by a man named Gerald Gasson of London, England. Gasson was a parent member of the board for the British National Autistic Society, and he reportedly chose the puzzle piece symbol to represent the society because he believed people with autism suffered from a “puzzling” condition. In addition, the board decided that “the symbol of the Society should be the puzzle as this did not look like any other commercial or charitable one as far as they could discover,” according to the committee’s meeting minutes as cited by Helen Green Allison in this article.
A common misunderstanding of the puzzle piece image is that it was intended to demonstrate the idea that autistic individuals are missing something, or that they do not fit in with normal society. Though these ideas do not align with Gerald Gasson’s original intentions, the image provokes these assumptions in many people nonetheless. Furthermore, there is another problem with the first NAS logo, which is that it features a weeping child in addition to the puzzle piece. The picture portrays the child as upset because of his condition, which was a large factor in the initial backlash against it. While these criticisms of the original National Autistic Society logo are very legitimate, a different organization prompted the chief controversy surrounding the use of a puzzle piece as a symbol for autism.
The British NAS was the first organization to use a puzzle piece in its logo, but Autism Speaks, a U.S.-based foundation, popularized it. One of the primary reasons that many people in the autism community oppose the puzzle piece is its connection to Autism Speaks, an organization riddled with controversies of its own.
Autism Speaks, whose logo consists of a single light blue puzzle piece, is a widely unpopular organization in the autism community due to its history of stigmatizing autism, its exclusionary rhetoric, and the lack of autistic people on its board. (See this Autistic Self-Advocacy Network flyer for further criticisms of Autism Speaks, specifically regarding its budget.) Because the puzzle piece is often associated with Autism Speaks, an organization which incites anger or fear in a lot of people, many members of the greater autism community reject the symbol. In addition to being conflated with this organization, however, the puzzle piece is heavily criticized as a stand-alone image.
Criticisms of the Puzzle Piece as a Symbol for Autism
- The puzzle piece implies that autistic people don’t “fit in”
- The image implies that people with autism have something missing or are not complete
- The image is infantilizing; it contributes to the misconception that autism only appears in children
- The image was widely adopted without consent or input from any autistic people themselves
- The puzzle piece implies that autism is a condition which needs to be “solved” or cured
The Debate
For these reasons (and more), a large portion of the autism community rejects the puzzle piece as a symbol, but others have a different outlook on the image and its uses. Some autistic individuals embrace the puzzle piece and have chosen to try and reframe the narrative surrounding it. For example, the puzzle piece could encourage inclusion rather than exclusion, representing the idea that many people who are different from one another can still fit together to make a complete picture. Additionally, the puzzle piece can symbolize that each autistic individual is unique and equally important. In a 2018 article, Debra Muzikar shared the results of an informal survey she conducted about this image, and one of her respondents, the parent of an autistic child, noted,
Perhaps to some, it’s a ‘missing’ piece. I’d like to think our kiddos are the COMPLETING PIECE of the human puzzle.
The different takes on the jigsaw puzzle piece are highly debated, and the image will likely always remain controversial as a representation of autism. Despite attempts by many people to change the negative rhetoric of the puzzle piece, its problematic history cannot be erased or forgotten. The puzzle piece has long contributed to an ableist narrative of autism, and many people in the community cannot simply move past that reality by trying to establish a new framework through which to think about the image. Instead, some have advocated for a new symbol altogether.
Moving Forward
The puzzle piece ribbon has become increasingly popular since its adoption as the universal symbol for autism awareness in 1999. This alternative image incorporates the puzzle piece but puts a different spin on it: the ribbon strives to represent autism awareness, not autism itself. It does not imply that autism is something which needs to be cured or “solved,” but rather places the focus on making people aware of the disorder. In an article on the puzzle piece debate, James Sinclair writes,
I… believe that the ribbon is much better suited for the logo of autism, as it directly contrasts Gerald Gasson’s decision to pick a logo which no one else is using, and instead moves autism awareness from a place of isolation to one which mirrors other noteworthy causes, such as the pink Breast Cancer Awareness Ribbon, the white End Violence Against Women and Girls Ribbon, and many, many more.
Time will tell whether the autism awareness ribbon will come to fully replace the single jigsaw puzzle piece in autism-related marketing and other representations. No matter what, the puzzle piece will surely continue to be debated for years to come. The image will never shed its complicated history, but the fight to rectify it will likewise never cease.
What Do You Think?
What is your opinion of the autism puzzle piece? Of the puzzle piece ribbon? Of other logos or representations pertaining to autism? We invite you to share your own comments and insights on this topic in the response section below.
Sources Consulted
“The Ableist History of the Puzzle Piece Symbol for Autism”
