Mattel has introduced its first autistic Barbie doll after spending over 18 months working closely with the Autistic Self Advocacy Network to create a toy that authentically represents how some autistic people experience the world. The new doll features thoughtful details including eyes that shift slightly to the side to reflect how some people with autism avoid direct eye contact, plus articulated elbows and wrists to acknowledge stimming and hand flapping gestures that help process sensory information. Noor Pervez, the Autistic Self Advocacy Network’s community engagement manager who worked on the prototype, explains that autism doesn’t look any one way but the team tried to show some of the ways it expresses itself through carefully considered design choices. The doll wears an A line dress with short sleeves and a flowy skirt that provides less fabric to skin contact, along with flat shoes for stability, recognizing that some autistic people are sensitive to clothing textures.
Each Barbie comes with accessories including noise canceling headphones, a pink finger clip fidget spinner, and a pink tablet modeled after communication devices some autistic people use when speaking is difficult. The doll also features facial characteristics inspired by Mattel employees in India, representing a segment of the autistic community that is often underrepresented in media and toys. This newest addition joins Mattel’s Barbie Fashionistas line that already includes dolls with Down syndrome, Type 1 diabetes, prosthetic legs, hearing aids, and vitiligo, all part of the company’s ongoing mission to reflect the world kids see around them. Available at Target stores and Mattel’s online shop for $11.87, the autistic Barbie represents an important step forward in helping all children see themselves in their toys and understand that differences should be celebrated rather than hidden.
