Mattel unveils first Barbie on the autism spectrum featuring sensory-friendly fashion and AAC tools
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Mattel unveils first Barbie on the autism spectrum featuring sensory-friendly fashion and AAC tools")
Autistic Barbie Photograph: (Mattel/Facebook)
Toy manufacturer Mattel has introduced a new Barbie who is on the autism spectrum. The doll is part of the new Barbie Fashionistas collection. The move is part of the toymaker's long-standing attempt at making its dolls more diverse and inclusive.
There is a new Barbie in the Mattel family. Giant toymaker Mattel has introduced the first-ever autistic Barbie, which is part of the Barbie Fashionistas collection. The move is part of Mattel’s long-standing attempt at making its dolls more diverse and inclusive. The new Autistic Barbie has reportedly been made in cooperation with the autistic community.
More about the Autistic Barbie
A few days ahead of its launch, Mattel shared the first look at the new Barbie on its Facebook page and revealed that it has been developed in coordination with the Autistic Self-Advocacy Network (ASAN).
The doll is part of the Barbie Fashionistas collection that is intended to increase the diversity and inclusivity of the doll line. Other dolls in the Fashionistas line include a Ken doll with a prosthetic leg, a Barbie with hearing aids and dolls with a skin condition called vitiligo.
A post accompanied the photos in which the doll manufacturer stated that the new Barbie was intended to reflect on experiences that are related to people on the autism spectrum.
According to Mattel, it does so through features like “elbow and wrist articulation, enabling stimming and other hand gestures to process sensory information; a shifted gaze, reflecting how some members of the community may avoid direct eye contact; a fidget spinner, offering a sensory outlet that can help reduce stress and improve focus; noise-cancelling headphones that reduce sensory overload; an AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) tablet, as a communication tool; and sensory-sensitive fashions, minimizing fabric-to-skin contact”.
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Mattel’s move for inclusivity
The new Barbie with autism is the latest addition to the range of dolls from Mattel. The company, over the years, has tried to create more diverse Barbie dolls after facing years of backlash for stereotyping the female body and promoting a kind of figure often considered impractical and unattainable.
In 2024, the toy company introduced the first Blind Barbie Fashionista doll created in partnership with the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB). Meant to authentically represent blind and low vision individuals, the doll “features an upward and outward eye gaze, sunglasses, and a cane with a marshmallow tip.” The doll also has textured fabrics for a better sensory experience, easy-to-open Braille packaging, and elbow articulation for comfortable cane use.
In 2023, the company collaborated with the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) to come up with a doll that “accurately represents a person with Down Syndrome.”
