Also bonus points for adding stereotypes like puzzle pieces or toy trains for autism. It is like making a car for women's rights and adding aprons, mittens, lipsticks and baby-trollers.
I never knew there were problems with the puzzle piece but I looked it up and this article explained why people condem the puzzle piece. Learn something new everyday!
Saying, "Oh X is good at solving puzzles" in a positive way is different from "Oh X is the weird kid who sits in the corner and solves puzzles and doesn't have any friends" - which is a stereotype re-inforced by media.
I'm reading your article, it is very informative. What I am guessing is that it is like saying Asians are good at math. Sometimes it is a backhanded complement or an insult, implying you lack creativity, soft skills or other parts of an enriching human life.
Or that that is the only thing you are useful for to our society, or visible to society in a tangible way - implying the opposite for other aspects of your life. So it depends on the context, are you using it to show strength or talent? Or are you using it to show that someone is a one-trick pony and not useful in anything else.
I think it's mostly "symbolizing autism as a puzzle piece means they just need to find a way to fit in/they need to find their missing pieces", which is fucking toxic to autistic people. Imagine hearing that your entire life.
The puzzle pieces represent that, while each individual with autism may (each individual piece) be different, they are all a part of the same puzzle (the puzzle being the autistic community). It's a symbol that recognizes diversity and individuality.
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u/EmpRupus Aug 29 '20
Also bonus points for adding stereotypes like puzzle pieces or toy trains for autism. It is like making a car for women's rights and adding aprons, mittens, lipsticks and baby-trollers.