Internationally, this autism awareness lanyard has become a thing, so now you can get one right here in Aotearoa.

They’re covered with colourful puzzle piece cutouts – a symbol of unity and support for autism awareness.

These ones here are a little bit fancier than the ones I’ve seen elsewhere, with great quality printing, a very soft lanyard and a useful ID-card holder with raised puzzle piece contours, which feels very nice to the touch, if sensory things matter.

To open the ID card compartment, please remove the holder from the lanyard, gently press the back and slide it upwards. Slide it back down to close it – easy as, and it’s nearly impossible to lose your ID!

“The autism puzzle piece originated as an autism symbol in 1963, when it was developed to raise autism awareness—long before Autism Speaks was founded in 2005. While it is something we still use today, we regularly seek feedback and input from those within the autistic community to make sure Autism Speaks is reflective of the widest range of autistic individuals people and their family and friends as possible.

The puzzle piece, with its current spectrum of colours, is meant to be representative of the spectrum of perspectives and experiences autistic people may have. We believe that our updated, more colourful puzzle piece represents inclusivity and optimism as we look towards a future of progress for those on the autism spectrum.”

Quote from AutismSpeaks.com