NEW YORK (AP) — Mattel Inc. unveiled an autistic Barbie doll on Monday as the latest addition to a line that celebrates diversity, a line that already includes Barbie with Down syndrome, blind Barbie, Barbie with vitiligo and Ken, among other models the toymaker is adding to make its fashion dolls more inclusive.
Mattel said it spent more than 18 months developing the autistic doll in partnership with the Autistic Self Advocacy Network. The Autism Self-Advocacy Network is a non-profit organization dedicated to advocating for the rights of people with autism and better media coverage. According to a Mattel press release, the goal was to create a Barbie doll that reflected some of the ways in which people with autism experience and process the world around them.
That’s a challenge because autism encompasses a wide range of behaviors and difficulties that vary widely in degree, and many of the characteristics associated with the disorder are not immediately visible, said Noor Pervez, community engagement manager for the Autism Self-Advocacy Network, who worked closely with Mattel on the Barbie prototype.
Like many disabilities, “autism doesn’t look monolithic,” Pervez said. “But we can try to show some expressions of autism.”
For example, the new Barbie’s eyes are turned slightly to one side, representing the way some people with autism sometimes avoid direct eye contact, he said. The doll also comes with articulated elbows and wrists that can recognize stimulation, clapping and other gestures used by people with autism to process sensory information or express excitement, according to Mattel.
Pervez said the development team discussed whether to dress the doll in tight-fitting or loose-fitting clothing. He said some people with autism wear loose-fitting clothing because they are sensitive to the feel of fabric seams, while others wear form-fitting clothing that lets them know where their bodies are.
The team ultimately opted for short-sleeved A-line dresses and flowy skirts to reduce fabric contact with skin. The doll also wears flat shoes to improve stability and freedom of movement, according to Mattel.
Each doll comes with a pink fingertip fidget spinner, noise-canceling headphones and a pink tablet modeled after the devices some people with autism who have difficulty speaking use to communicate.
The addition of an autistic doll to the Barbie Fashionista line also creates an opening for Mattel, with the doll’s facial features inspired by the company’s employees in India and the mood board reflecting a range of women of Indian background. Pervez said it was important for the doll to represent a generally underrepresented part of the autism community.
Mattel launched its first doll with Down syndrome in 2023 and last summer launched a Barbie doll representing people with type 1 diabetes. Fashionistas also includes Barbie and Ken with prosthetic legs, as well as Barbie with a hearing aid, but the collection also covers tall, petite and curvy body types as well as a variety of hair types and skin tones.
“Barbie has always strived to reflect the world as children see it and the possibilities they imagine, and we’re proud to introduce our first autistic Barbie as part of that ongoing work,” Mattel global head of dolls Jamie Cygielman said in a statement.
The doll is expected to be available starting Monday at Mattel’s online store and Target stores, with a suggested retail price of $11.87. Mattel said Walmart stores expect to begin selling the new Barbie doll in March.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported last year that the prevalence of autism among U.S. 8-year-olds is estimated at 1 in 31. Estimates from the CDC’s Autism and Developmental Disabilities Surveillance Network show that Black, Hispanic, Asian and Pacific Islander children in the United States are more likely to be diagnosed with autism than white children, and the prevalence is more than three times higher in boys than girls.
