The new doll has been created with guidance from the autistic community to showcase how they experience the world around them.
Today (Monday 12th January), Mattel launched it’s first-ever autistic Barbie. The doll joins the Barbie Fashionistas line, which already includes dolls with disabilities and medical conditions.
Autism is a form of neurodivergence that affects how people experience and interact with the world. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that more than one in 100 children globally are autistic.
While the figure is significant, autistic experiences and traits vary between individuals, for example, some people people struggle with sensory issues. Reflecting this, the new Barbie wears a loose-fitting purple pinstripe A-line dress designed to minimise fabric-to-skin contact. She also has flat purple shoes intended to support stability and ease of movement.
Barbie has been sold since 1959, but it wasn’t until 2019 that the brand introduced dolls with disabilities. Since then, the range has expanded to include Barbies who are blind, use wheelchairs, have Down syndrome, hearing aids, prosthetic limbs and vitiligo.
Ken dolls with prosthetic limbs, wheelchairs and hearing aids have also been released.
Jamie Cygielman, Mattel‘s global head of dolls, said the new launch reflected the company’s focus on inclusion.
‘Barbie has always strived to reflect the world kids see and the possibilities they imagine, and we’re proud to introduce our first autistic Barbie as part of that ongoing work.’
The doll ‘helps to expand what inclusion looks like in the toy aisle and beyond because every child deserves to see themselves in Barbie,’ she added.
Developed in partnership with the US charity the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, the doll’s eyes are angled slightly to the side, reflecting how some autistic people avoid direct eye contact.
The doll also has fully bendable elbows and wrists to allow for movements such as stimming and hand-flapping. She also wears pink noise-cancelling headphones, has a pink fidget spinner and carriers a pink tablet with symbol-based communication buttons.
Cygielman explained: ‘We engaged with the autistic community throughout the design process, always mindful that autism is experienced differently by every individual and is not always visible.
‘The elements of this doll reflect how some people on the spectrum may experience and express the world, and we hope that by partnering with influential voices within the community, Barbie can continue to showcase a broader range of authentic experiences.’
Following the doll’s creation, the Barbie team filmed a video capturing people’s reactions to seeing the autistic Barbie for the first time. The video can be watched below or on Mattel’s YouTube channel.
Madison Marilla, autism advocate and creative entrepreneur, said: ‘Dolls have always brought me comfort, stability, and joy. I’ve been collecting Barbie dolls since I was four years old, and now this autistic Barbie will be one of my favourites.
‘My good friend said these words to me, let yourself out and don’t hold yourself in, and it taught me how to educate people about autism. This autistic Barbie makes me feel truly seen and heard.’
Ellie Middleton, an author and founder of an online neurodivergent community, said the doll could help challenge misconceptions around autism.
‘I never considered, and the people around me never considered, that I might be autistic, because we had never seen anyone that looked like me, acted like me, or had anything in common with me have that label assigned to them.’
‘She is showing young girls that it is OK to be autistic, it is OK to be different, and it is OK to wear those differences with pride.’
Image: Openverse
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