A giant mural with hundreds of different looking puzzle pieces takes up a big wall at the Woodlands Public School Gymnasium.
Above the artwork is a sign reading “we all fit together.”
This art isn’t just an elementary school masterpiece, it’s actually a school project with a message in support of Autism Awareness Month.
“I know that one of the slogans we say is, 'if you meet one child with autism you’ve met one child with autism' and I think that’s what’s symbolized in the tapestry of all those different puzzle pieces. Everybody got to put their own mark on that puzzle piece and everybody got to colour it with different pictures, and it signifies something very individualized for them,” said Kim Gignac, Northern Schools Special Education Coordinator for the Near North School Board.
“But when you put it together it is one piece and I think it’s not shocking anymore to see a child with autism in the community. You can recognize some characteristics of autism but those are some characteristics of autism, that children are all very different and they really do require different supports on any given days.”
The mural was part of a Friday assembly, which included a presentation by the HANDS network, as they tried to show the students what life is like for children having autism.
The event concluded with an autism flag raising outside the school at noon.
“We know the progression of autism is fast and it’s every growing and ever changing," said Gignac.
"We are so happy to be able to reach out to our colleagues at HANDS, they are our community partner here in North Bay and they really do answer the call every time we make it."
