Unless you’ve been living in a cave for the last couple of years, you likely have seen the puzzle piece that has become the predominant symbol of autism.
I’ll just come out and say it bluntly: I hate it.
If someone thought a puzzle piece was an accurate representation of me, I’d be pretty ticked off to put it mildly.
Admittedly part of it may be that the over-commercialization of it has become as bad as the Christmas season. Autism Speaks has once again discovered a way to jump the big swimming fish by offering us silver puzzle cufflinks in a “lovely black gift box”, helpfully categorized under “Glamourous Gifts” in their store. I think I just threw up in my mouth a little. Perhaps I could hurl in the Autism Camo Baseball Cap or the Logo Etched Champagne Flutes instead…
[Hint to Mary - This is not what I want for Christmas.]
I’ve been pondering this for months and am beginning to have a clearer way of expressing why this bugs me so much. Perhaps it’s because I think the puzzle piece symbol is all about us (parents, family, friends, medical professionals, educators, researchers, etc.) and not at all about people who are autistic. I’m really starting to question whether this is not a symbol of autism but instead a symbol of our own fears and uncertainties. I wonder if we’re the ones with the missing puzzle piece and whether we’ll ever feel at peace with ourselves until we figure out where to look.
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