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Mattel expands its inclusion efforts with the launch of its first autistic Barbie, developed in partnership with autism advocates to reflect the way some autistic people view the world.
Mattel spent over 18 months developing autism barbie in partnership with the Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN), a nonprofit organization that works to advance the rights and media representation of autistic people. The goal, according to the company, was to design a doll that reflects some of the ways autistic people live and navigate the world around them.
“Barbie has always strived to reflect the world children see and the possibilities they imagine, and we are proud to introduce our first autistic Barbie as part of this ongoing work,” Jamie Cygielman, Mattel’s global head of dolls, said in a statement.
The Barbie design team worked with ASAN to authentically reflect certain experiences that people on the autism spectrum can relate to.
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Mattel spent more than 18 months developing the Autistic Barbie in partnership with the Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN), a nonprofit organization that works to advance the rights and media representation of autistic people. (Mattel/Reuters)
The doll includes articulated elbows and wrists to allow movements such as hand flapping and other gestures often used for sensory regulation or expression.
The doll’s eyes are positioned with a slightly averted gaze, reflecting the way some autistic people may avoid direct eye contact. Accessories include a spinning pink fidget spinner, pink noise-canceling headphones designed to reduce sensory overload, and a pink tablet displaying symbols Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Applications used to support communication.
The new doll has a suggested retail price of $11.87. (Mattel/Reuters)
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The doll also has sensory functions clothesincluding a loose, purple pinstripe A-line dress with short sleeves and a flowing skirt designed to limit fabric contact with the skin. Purple flat shoes are included to promote stability and ease of movement.
Mattel said the new doll was designed with the aim of reflecting how some people on the spectrum perceive the world. (Mark Makela/Getty Images / Getty Images)
“Autism doesn’t look like one direction,” Noor Pervez, ASAN’s community engagement manager who worked closely with Mattel on the Barbie prototype, told the Associated Press. “But we can try to show some of the ways that autism expresses itself.”
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The doll has a suggested retail price of $11.87. She follows in the footsteps of many other Barbies launched to increase inclusion among children’s toys, such as the Blind Barbie, the Down Syndrome Barbie and the Type 1 Diabetes Barbie.
Reuters contributed to this report.
