Whether you’ve gotten inked or not, it’s easy to appreciate the variety of reasons people get tattoos. Some people decide to get a tattoo to commemorate the life of a loved one who has passed, even sometimes inking something in their handwriting, while others get them to commemorate a special time in their lives. Some people just get tattoos for no other reason than the fact that they can be an artistic outlet and look really awesome.
Body art can also be a way to bring awareness and attention to causes that matter to them — for example, there is a whole community of people who choose to get tattoos bringing awareness and celebrating loved ones who are autistic. The autism community is a diverse and strong one and that diversity and colorfulness is reflected in the ink.
Keep scrolling for some of the brightest, most meaningful autism tattoos, to bring you both inspiration and awareness about the different ways autism can show up and affect people’s lives. No matter how big or how small, there’s a story behind every single one of these autism tattoos — whether it’s a deeply personal meaning, a special symbol of a beloved child, or a fun little reminder of a special person.
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Tiny reminder
Image Credit: Shelley Donaldson/Facebook "I'm a teacher of students with autism. I got this to honor and remind me of how amazing they all are. I've always loved the saying, and the idea of the puzzle piece balances out the design. I got a blue puzzle piece as most students I teach are boys, and the red heart for the girls (and the fact they all have a special place in my heart)!" — Shelley Donaldson
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“We all fit somewhere”
Image Credit: Christy Hartley LaRue/Facebook "My husband's tattoo [is] on the top picture and mine [is] on the bottom. Both are for our 5-year-old son, Gambit. He chose Emmett holding a puzzle piece because playing with LEGOs is one of their favorite things to do together. I chose mine for an emotional reason. I know no matter what happens in his life, my son will find his place in this world because 'we all fit somewhere.'" — Christy Hartley LaRue
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Under the sea
Image Credit: Julie Andreoni/Pinterest "This is my autism tattoo to honor my two children. I wanted something unique that not only represented autism, but who we are as a family. They are represented as two seahorses in their favorite colors. Seahorses look so fragile, but they are tough little survivors. They use their tails to wrap around seaweed or pieces of coral. This is their way of anchoring themselves so they don't get lost in the strong ocean currents. The mermaid is me, protecting them with a trident. The mermaid's tail is made of puzzle pieces (the symbol for autism). I chose a mermaid because sometimes I feel like I'm drowning in this life, but we have slowly learned to adapt. We face every wave that is thrown at us together. I have learned to see the beauty in this vast ocean of a world called autism. And guess what? We're still swimming." — Julie Marie Andreoni
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Crystalized twist
Image Credit: @jamie_adair/Instagram This pretty design was drawn by Jamie Adair at Crossroads Tattoo Studio. "She wanted something a bit different and something that would stand out, a twist on autism colors instead of just doing the jigsaw piece," Adair said.
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Love you to pieces
Image Credit: Kylee Thornton/Facebook "I had it done for my 6-year-old son, John Benjamin. I wanted to get it so he and I could see it every day and be reminded how far we've come. He wrote the words underneath. The tattoo artist picked to put purple in the middle, because people with autism are so brave. It's my favorite of all my tattoos." — Kylee Thornton
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Splash of color
Image Credit: @redick_tasha/Instagram Tasha Redick got this tattoo in honor of her two friends with autistic children. "It gives me an open opportunity to tell people that it's for autism, and maybe tell them a few things about it, or tell them about Aiden, Jacob and their families as well as the struggles that they go through on a day-to-day basis," she said.
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Beating heart
Image Credit: AaronandHeidi Moore/Facebook "I got my tattoo for my son. The heartbeat line is his actual heartbeat from when I was in labor with him. I chose the random colors and splashing because to me that is autism, unique and beautiful." — Heidi Moore
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One of a kind
Image Credit: Angela Olson/Facebook "I got this for my 3-year-old son, who was diagnosed with non-verbal autism. I wanted something original, so Jay worked with me until he got it right! This is a one-of-a-kind work of art." — Angela Olson
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Classic
Image Credit: @jasonponce15/Instagram This classic puzzle piece design was drawn by Jason Ponce at 5th Element Tattoo in Nashville, Tennessee.
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Beautiful journey
Image Credit: Claire Pritchard/Facebook "Autism awareness tattoo for my son Benjamin, who is 8 and has Asperger's. The butterfly is to signify that something beautiful comes from a long journey and huge fight to get him the help he needs — we are very pro-Asperger's — my au-some little dude." — Claire Pritchard
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Passion piece
Image Credit: Ninny Mundt Ryan/Facebook "This tattoo is a representation of some of the things my ASD son is passionate about." — Ninny Mundt Ryan
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Stick figure
Image Credit: Andrew Millar/Facebook "I have two boys on the spectrum. This was drawn by my oldest for him and his brother. The figure is based on something he made his mom in welding class. The initials are for my two boys." — Andrew Millar
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Hidden treasure
Image Credit: Jodii Ruggero/Facebook "I got this piece for my youngest nephew. I chose a babushka to represent that once you find your way in, these kids have lots of personalities and abilities hiding inside." — Jodii Ruggero
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Flying free
Image Credit: @psucourtnee/Instagram "My 6-year-old son has autism. He and I both like birds, and I have several other tree and bird tattoos. So this, to me, was the logical choice to incorporate him into my body art! My cousin also has this autism tattoo… We got our tattoos together last spring as part of the Ink for Autism Awareness." — Courtney Stocker-Coulter
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Out of the shell
Image Credit: Amy Trinnier-Cartwright/Facebook "My nephew, Brandton, drew him (the turtle) for me. He has autism and it was for my sons John, who was mild, and Chance, who is severe autism." — Amy Trinnier-Cartwright
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Mom and Dad
Image Credit: Kathy Watson Stapp/Facebook "These are the tattoos my husband and I got for our son, Robert, who is high-functioning autistic. He was diagnosed at age 5, but we knew from about age 2 that there was 'something' about him that was different. He is 19, almost 20 he likes to say, and extremely independent. My husband wanted just a basic puzzle piece, and Robert picked the color blue; and for mine, I wanted a heart, but offered to get a train engine, since that is one of his passions. He said, 'No, a heart is cool.' Our experience with autism has been a puzzle where he tells us what he wants to do, or where he wants to go, and we help him get the skills and understanding to accomplish those things. It hasn't been easy or without stress and strife, but seeing him grow into a man who will make his own decisions and guide his own life is definitely a great reward." — Kathy Watson Stapp
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Surrounded by love
Image Credit: @donnainwonderland/Instagram Donna Bygate at Adrenalin Tattoos custom designed this tattoo as a tribute to her son. "From a small age, he used to make a heart shape with his hands and point it towards me to say he loves me. He doesn't do it as much now, but it's always been a special thing between me and my special boy," she said.
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Hand-drawn details
Image Credit: Gillian MacKenzie/Facebook "Mine is for my son, Luke. I wanted to do something other than the traditional puzzle piece. So when I came across this drawing Luke did of us when he was 3 and this Shel Silverstein poem a few days later, it clicked. I thought the phrase described autism better than anything I've ever read." — Gillian MacKenzie
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