Barbie with autism being introduced by Mattel

Barbie with Autism: A New Addition to Mattel’s Inclusive Line

Mattel Inc. is making waves in the toy industry by introducing a Barbie with autism as the newest member of its diverse lineup. This new addition joins a collection that already includes Barbies with Down syndrome, a blind Barbie, a Barbie and Ken with vitiligo, and other models designed to celebrate inclusivity and diversity.

The development of the Barbie with autism took over 18 months and was done in partnership with the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, a nonprofit organization dedicated to advocating for the rights and better representation of people with autism. The goal was to create a Barbie that accurately reflected some of the ways in which individuals with autism experience and process the world around them.

Creating a doll that represented the broad spectrum of behaviors and difficulties associated with autism was a challenge. Noor Pervez, the Autistic Self Advocacy Network’s community engagement manager, worked closely with Mattel on the Barbie prototype. He emphasized that autism doesn’t have a single look and that the doll aimed to showcase some of the ways in which autism expresses itself.

The new Barbie with autism features eyes that slightly shift to the side to represent the tendency of some individuals with autism to avoid direct eye contact. The doll also has articulated elbows and wrists to acknowledge stimming and other gestures used by individuals with autism to process sensory information or express excitement.

The development team carefully considered the doll’s outfit, opting for an A-line dress with short sleeves and a flowy skirt to minimize fabric-to-skin contact. The doll also wears flat shoes for stability and ease of movement. Each doll comes with a pink finger clip fidget spinner, noise-canceling headphones, and a pink tablet modeled after communication devices used by some individuals with autism.

In addition to representing individuals with autism, the Barbie Fashionistas line also features dolls with facial features inspired by Mattel’s employees in India, highlighting a segment of the community that is often underrepresented. Mattel’s commitment to inclusivity is further demonstrated by the range of body types, hair types, and skin colors represented in the Fashionistas line.

The Barbie with autism is priced at $11.87 and will be available at Mattel’s online shop and Target stores starting Monday, with Walmart stores expected to carry the doll in March. This initiative by Mattel is a step towards reflecting the world that children see and fostering a sense of inclusivity and acceptance.