Mattel introduces the first Autistic Barbie doll developed by autism advocates

Mattel is expanding its mission of inclusion with the launch of its first autistic Barbie, developed in collaboration with autism advocates to show how other people on the spectrum experience the world.

Mattel spent more than 18 months developing the autistic Barbie in partnership with the Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN), a non-profit organization that works to advance the rights and media representation of autistic people. The goal, the company said, was to design a doll that reflects some of the ways that autistic people experience and navigate the world around them.

“Barbie has always strived to show what children see in the world and the possibilities they imagine, and we are proud to introduce our first autistic Barbie as part of that ongoing work,” Jamie Cygielman, Mattel’s global head of dolls, said in a statement.

Barbie’s design team worked with ASAN to authentically depict some of the experiences that those 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 non-profit organization that works to advance the rights and media representation of autistic people. (Mattel/Reuters)

The doll has jointed elbows and wrists to allow movements such as hand flapping and other gestures that are often used for sensory control or self-expression.

The doll’s eyes are slightly slanted, reflecting how some people on the autism spectrum may avoid direct eye contact. Accessories include a rotating pink finger-clip fidget spinner, pink noise-cancelling headphones designed to reduce sensory overload, and a pink tablet that displays sign-based Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) apps used to support communication.

The new doll has a suggested retail price of $11.87. (Mattel/Reuters)

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The doll also features sensual clothing, including a purple loose-fitting pinstripe A-line dress with short sleeves and a flowing skirt designed to limit fabric-to-skin contact. Purple flat shoes are included to promote stability and ease of movement.

Mattel said the new doll was designed to show how other people on the spectrum deal with the world. (Mark Makela/Getty Images / Getty Images)

“Autism doesn’t look the other way,” Noor Pervez, ASAN’s public relations manager who worked closely with Mattel on the Barbie prototype, told the Associated Press. “But we can try and show some of the ways that autism manifests itself.”

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The doll has a suggested retail price of $11.87. It follows in the footsteps of many other Barbies that were introduced to increase inclusivity among children’s toys, such as the blind Barbie, the Barbie with Down syndrome and the Barbie with Type 1 diabetes.

Reuters contributed to this report.