Autistic folk aren't very keen on the use of the jigsaw puzzle piece as a symbol for autism, for a variety of reasons.

One, it is primarily associated with the organisation Autism Speaks. This organisation has repeatedly proven to be harmful for the autistic community, as it encourages ABA and seems to focus on carers at the expense of the autistic people themselves.

There are very few autistic people involved in the organisation's hierarchy and there is no trust at all that they have autistic people's best interests in mind.

Two, it is a very unhelpful symbol in itself. The implication is that autistic people have a piece missing, and if we could only find it, they would be complete once more, like a jigsaw puzzle. This is a deficit view of autism.

Many autistic people aren't keen on this as it suggests we are, by our very nature, broken or inadequate in some way, and that we can only become whole with some kind of intervention (finding the piece).

Autism is not a deficit, it is fundamentally a difference. A disabling difference yes; caused by an ableist society possibly. But not a deficit. Viewing it as such pathologises it and makes autism a negative thing.

Considering autism is, for a great many of us, a big part of who we are, we understandably don't really like this idea.

Third, as symbols go, the puzzle piece was imposed upon the autistic community, rather than chosen by us. So it's a question of autonomy and respect. We are, as a group, more than capable of choosing our own - we don't need to be 'given' a symbol.

And that's my Ted talk. Thank you for coming, and drive safe, it's cold out.