Why Are Puzzle Pieces Used to Raise Autism Awareness?
Wednesday April 18, 2007
A student sent me this question, and I assumed I knew the answer: it's because autism is a puzzle that we're trying to solve. But- I could be wrong! Does anyone know where the puzzle-piece emblem comes from, or why it was created?
And on the same subject...what do you think of puzzle pieces as an emblem for autism spectrum disorders? Of course, it works beautifully if you're doing fundraising on behalf of research into causes, treatments, and potential cures. But I'm thinking that, if I were an adult on the spectrum, I might object to being represented as an insoluble enigma!
I think that is the correct answer. each child in themselves is a piece of that puzzle of autism.
I think the puzzle piece is cute, but prefer there awareness ribbon. I also only see the puzzle piece in blue, they might come in more than one color but I’ve only seen blue. I also believe it is part of Autism Speaks, where as the ribbon is Autism Society generated, at least that’s where my money went when I bought it
the puzzle piece is too abstract thinking for my child, I doubt he thinks of himself as a puzzle piece. I like the awareness ribbon, general population knows it’s for some type of awareness. a puzzle piece could appear to be just pretty jewelry.
People with autism are a puzzle — there is so much we don’t know. I don’t think it offensive.
My grandson has Autism Spectrum. We need to offend as many people as it takes to get the attention focused on this eppidemic. Judging from the national news lately, people that offend someone seem to get all the coverage.
Thanks for listening.
The puzzle piece symbolizes a single trait of autism, not a person. All of the puzzle pieces are different and the resulting picture is different for each person. While we work to solve this puzzle we must appreciate the different colors and pictures. I think that it’s a beautiful representation of misunderstanding and differences among people.
An early slogan asked people to “help solve the puzzle”.
Autism is a puzzle that can’t be completed unlill we find the missing piece. The piece represents a understanding of why, and ultimatly a cure.
As a parent of an Autistic child I have little knowledge on this topic. Yes, the obvious meaning is as you had described. Although there are a few underlying meanings as well, one being is that a high percentage of children with Autism play with puzzles. The reason being, puzzles are a 1 person game that do not rely on any interaction from anyone else. The interpretation of Autism comes from Latin defined as “oneself”. Another reason for the puzzle piece is to create this very dialogue.
I worked at a golf course a couple years back and the special olympics was held there. they gave the people that worked at the coarse tee shirts with turtels on it My question is, what do the turtels represent.
teh puzzle piece itself represents the complexity and mysteriousness of the disorder. The different colors represent the different colors and backgrounds of people affected. Other than male dominated, its an equal opportunity disorder.
Here is how I see it. My Daughter is the best gift God could have ever given to me. Even with her Autism. She is a puzzle you never know where the next one is going. Anyone put a puzzle together to see the pretty picture in the end. Well I know once all the pieces come together. Everyone will see just how beautiful and smart these childern are. Don’t focus on the Autism, focus on the child. The ribbon is also very pretty, But I happen to like the puzzle if they were all the same color form so it would stand out more for what it means.
My Girlfriend Denise’s Daughter is complexed but that is what makes her who she is and who she will be. A puzzle never knowing what you will see next or how it will fit in but somehow it always does find a way. I love her Daughter she is a blessing to all those who meet her and with her comedy attitude she is a joy. You have no idea how your life is blessed with a child with Autism. They are not the ones who need help we are. Becuase the quote normal people always want to make things perfect. I Do think God is showing us that perfect is not perfect it is Autism. And to except all people for whom God has made us all special in one way or another. Autism is not a curse but a gift, to us. If you learn about it you can live with it. I am so tired of everyone complaining how bad it is. It’s not if you live by 1st Corrintians 13.
The puzzle pattern reflects the mystery and complexity of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The different colors and shapes represent the diversity of the individuals (and their families) effected. The brightness of the colors symbolizes hope – through research, increased awareness, understanding and acceptance.
From the ASA website:
The Autism Awareness Ribbon – The puzzle pattern reflects the mystery and complexity of the autism spectrum. The different colors and shapes represent the diversity of the people and families living with the condition. The brightness of the ribbon signals hope—hope that through increased awareness of autism, and through early intervention and appropriate treatments, people with autism will lead fuller, more complete lives.
I’m a university student doing a Presentation for a funding Proposal for Autism. We found out after making a logo with puzzle pieces that it was actually already used as a logo for Autism. What I always took it to mean and the way that I intended it was that we are all unique, like pieces of a puzzle, autistic children are unique, but that we all fit together in the end no matter how differently able we are. We are all part of the bigger picture.
I didn’t even consider it to be a puzzle to solve, mostly because I try not to think of it as a disease, rather as a different way of looking at the world
Hope this is helpful
-alicia
I am an ABA teacher for children with Autism and I was just asked this question for the first time tonight and didn’t know the answer! It inspired me to research the puzzle piece and its meaning and I was surprised to find there isnt much information on it! I have loved everything I have read about what everyone has to say and I think it makes perfect sense. Autism IS a big puzzle that needs to be solved and one day hopefully will be! Also there are a lot of missing pieces that need to be found in order to solve it.
I am in the spectrum myself, and I’m not at all offended by the puzzle piece representation.
I think it’s a beautiful and truthful metaphor and I don’t understand why people get so antsy by it.
I have silver puzzle pieces I attach to jewlery with a saying on it.
“One day all the pieces will fit”.
That one saying could represent a lot of groups and individuals, but I have always liked it for Autism.
I have autism and i guess you could be right with the whole solving the puzzle thing. However i see it as we, as autistic children are our own puzzles with original pieces. no two autistic children can be treated the same way because things come together differently for each of us.
Autism is Both Mr/DD and Einstein. Autism is the simply the building block thoughts that happen during the lack of eye contact that older autistic like me, figured out on our own.(more often) I was once hailed as the next Temple Grandin.
Sadly the sub level thoughts we learned have never been in a text book before and figured out Autism yields normal thoughts / Normal thoughts are Autism Shorthand so the “cure to autism” lower down in the gene pool than the professionals are looking.
Rich Shull- Inventor of the Turing Motor a autistically designed Green single spinning cylinder triple hybird car motor. It is named for Alan Turing (1912-1954) he was Autistic and Father of the Computer. Author of the Book Autism Pre Rain Man Autism Built on Temple’s Thinking in Pictures
I am on the spectrum and I agree with you completely. I am NOT mysterious. I am not a mystery! To call me and my brethren on the spectrum a mystery is insulting, and offensive. The matter is simple. I would like to approach any and every body that I meet with a certain degree of curiousity and wonder about them. When I meet somebody I would like to understand them from their perspective and have them show me who they are. There is no mysterious people. There are some fish that live 30, 000 ft below sea level-they are mysterious. You meet people and talk with people and dine with people. WE ARE NOT A MYSTERY !
If people approach us to understand us they simply would-case closed. The issue is that most neurotypical people insist on expecting us to be like them and will try to make ASD more like them. This is where the fundamental problem lie. Seeing us for who we are is not a problem at all.
If I were to insult that a group of people like females or Jewish people or Blind people were a mystery it would cause an outrage.
So we need to be sensitive here and think this through.
If we were to really think about what the symbol represent it represents each ASD individual standing alone waiting for the rest of the picture-puzzle to fit around us to complete our lives and give us meaning. The rest of the puzzle is represented by the rest of society accepting at our essential self !
I heard that autistic kids could solve puzzles picture first. Ones with this capability have been said to need only ONE glance at the picture on the box, after which they sort through all the pieces, steadily piecing together an image out of the assortment. They do not use the “outside in” strategy see post by Diwakar M on:
http://www.linkedin.com/answers/management/planning/MGM_PLN/141513-1478178