The Battle of the Symbols: Why We Ditched the Puzzle Piece for the Infinity Loop ♾️🧩
If you Google “Autism,” one of the first things you see is a primary-colored puzzle piece. It is on bumper stickers, charity walks, and ribbons everywhere.
For a lot of people (especially well-meaning parents and allies), that puzzle piece just means “Autism Awareness.” It seems harmless, right?
But if you actually ask an Autistic adult how they feel about it, you might get a very different reaction. Usually a cringe. Sometimes a deep sigh. Occasionally a rant.
At Spectrum Threadz, you will notice our logo is a rainbow Infinity Loop. That wasn’t an aesthetic choice (though it does look cool). It was a purposeful decision.
Here is the tea on why symbols matter, and why we left the puzzle piece in the 1990s where it belongs.
The Problem with the Puzzle Piece 🧩
The puzzle piece symbol was created way back in 1963 by a chaotic organization, but the vibe from the start was… off. It was originally used to signify that autism was a “puzzling condition” and that autistic children were “missing” something.
And therein lies the beef.
1. I Am Not “Missing” Anything
The puzzle piece implies that we are incomplete. That we are a riddle to be solved. That if you just found that one missing piece, we would suddenly become “normal.”
Spoiler alert: We aren’t broken. We don’t have holes in our souls. We are whole, complete humans—we just run on a different operating system (Linux vs. Windows).
2. It’s Associated with “Cure” Culture
Historically, the puzzle piece has been the mascot for organizations that focus on fixing or curing autism, rather than accepting and supporting autistic people. It screams, “This is a tragedy,” instead of, “This is a difference.”
3. It’s Usually Blue
Don’t get us started on “Light It Up Blue.” (That’s a rant for another blog post). But generally, the blue puzzle piece focuses heavily on little boys, ignoring the millions of autistic women, non-binary folks, and adults who exist.
Enter: The Infinity Loop ♾️
When the Neurodiversity Movement really kicked off (led by actual autistic people!), we needed a new symbol. Something that didn’t make us feel like a busted toy.
The Rainbow Infinity Loop represents Neurodiversity.
The Gold Infinity Loop specifically represents Autism (because the chemical symbol for Gold is Au—science pun!).
Here is why we love it:
1. It is Continuous
An infinity loop has no beginning and no end. It’s unbroken. It represents the idea that we are complete just as we are.
2. It Represents the Spectrum
The rainbow gradient shows that neurodivergence isn’t linear. It’s not a line from “A little autistic” to “Very autistic.” It’s a massive, colorful spectrum of traits—sensory processing, social communication, motor skills—that varies for everyone.
3. It’s About Possibility
Instead of focusing on what we can’t do (the missing piece), the loop focuses on the infinite possibilities of the neurodivergent mind.
“But I Have a Puzzle Piece Tattoo…”
If you are reading this and panic-sweating because you have a puzzle piece bumper sticker or tattoo—breathe.
Most people use the puzzle piece because they love someone with autism and they want to show support. That love is real, and that intention is beautiful. We aren’t judging you!
But symbols evolve. Language evolves.
Just like we moved away from using certain medical terms that were hurtful, the community is moving away from the puzzle piece.
Wear Your Loop With Pride
At Spectrum Threadz, we are proudly Team Infinity.
We believe in acceptance over awareness.
We believe in accommodation over “cures.”
And we believe that your brain is beautiful, complex, and whole.
So, let’s leave the puzzles for Sunday afternoon table games. We are infinitely better than that.
Rep the Neurodiversity Movement.
🌈 Shop our Infinity Loop Collection here.
(We put it on everything from hoodies to pins, so you can show your pride your way).