Autism Speaks is dedicated to creating an inclusive world for all individuals with autism throughout their lifespan. We do this through advocacy, services, supports, research and innovation, and advances in care for autistic individuals and their families.

Inclusion is about offering the same activities to everyone, while providing support and services to accommodate people's differences. Inclusive organizations actively reach out to people with disabilities and seek to understand and appreciate their differences, while fostering a sense of belonging.

It was the right decision to remove searching for a “cure” from our mission and instead focus on providing advocacy and support, increasing understanding and acceptance and advancing research for the autistic community.

The puzzle piece symbol that's associated with autism was first designed by Gerald Gasson in 1963. Gasson was a parent and board member of the National Autistic Society in London. Why a puzzle piece? Because at the time, it symbolized how some people thought autism was a “puzzling” condition.

Speech Therapy

• Strengthening the muscles in the mouth, jaw and neck.
• Making clearer speech sounds.
• Matching emotions with the correct facial expression.
• Understanding body language.
• Responding to questions.
• Matching a picture with its meaning.
• Using a speech app on an iPad to produce the correct word.
• Modulating tone of voice.

Social Objectives for Autism Intervention

• Form friendships with other classmates.
• Learn to initiate and sustain back-and-forth conversations.
• Enjoy both structured and unstructured playtime.
• Empathize in interactions with others.

Inclusion of students with autism in the general classroom can minimize stigma against autism while students learn how to communicate appropriately with one another. Having a student with autism in a general classroom also reduces negativity associated with autism, and children will learn how to work with one another.

To create an inclusive environment for autistic people, it is important to recognize their strengths and differences, as well as provide them with access to the same opportunities that are available to others. This includes appropriate provisions for education, employment, social activities and community involvement.

Common goals may include improving spoken language, learning nonverbal skills such as signs or gestures, or learning to communicate using an alternative method (such as pictures or technology). Examples of the skills that speech therapy may work on include: Strengthening the muscles in the mouth, jaw and neck.

Our Vision People with autism can learn and develop and we support this process every single day.

Multi-Colored Puzzle Piece Ribon Multi-Colored Puzzle Piece Ribon The symbol that most people associate with autism is the multi-colored, interlocking puzzle piece. This symbol was created by 15 people, some of which had autism, and others were advocates of the disorder.

Over time, as more was discovered about the autism spectrum, the puzzle piece symbol began to be viewed in a negative light by the autism community. Those who spoke out in opposition said they felt it created the impression that autism was a riddle to be solved or that those with the condition were incomplete.