Mattel has launched its first ever autistic Barbie, the most recent addition to its various Barbie Fashionistas assortment.
Designed in partnership with the Autistic Self Advocacy Community (ASAN), the brand new Barbie is meant to mirror actual autistic folks’s experiences, with Mattel stating that it “invitations extra kids to see themselves represented” within the doll.
“Barbie has all the time strived to mirror the world children see and the probabilities they think about, and we’re proud to introduce our first autistic Barbie as a part of that ongoing work,” stated Mattel’s world head of dolls Jamie Cygielman.
As such, the autistic Barbie comes sporting a free becoming lavender and white striped costume, flat-soled sneakers, and pink noise-cancelling headphones — clothes knowledgeable by the sartorial decisions folks might make when managing sensory processing points. As becoming her give attention to style, Barbie’s headphones are color coordinated along with her pill (which exhibits symbol-based apps designed to allow communication with out talking) and her fidget spinner (which truly spins).
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Credit score: Mattel
Barbie’s physique additionally options articulated elbow and wrist joints so she will stim, whereas her gaze is intentionally shifted barely off-centre. Mattel states that this design selection “displays how some members of the autistic group might keep away from direct eye contact.” Her hair can be worn free, “as autism can affect tremendous motor expertise.”
“It’s so necessary for younger autistic folks to see genuine, joyful representations of themselves, and that’s precisely what this doll is,” stated ASAN govt director Colin Killick. “We’re honored to see this milestone come to life, and we are going to hold pushing for extra illustration like this that helps our group in dreaming massive and residing proud.”
Mattel has additional introduced it should donate over 1000 autistic Barbie dolls to varied U.S. kids’s hospitals that present particular providers for autistic kids.
This autistic Barbie is not the primary doll within the Barbie Fashionistas assortment with a incapacity. The corporate beforehand launched a Barbie with Down syndrome in 2023, in addition to each a blind doll and one with sort 1 diabetes final 12 months. The Barbie Fashionistas assortment consists of over 175 dolls, spanning throughout totally different pores and skin tones, physique sorts, and disabilities.
Autistic Barbie is obtainable now for $10.99 at Amazon and Goal, and $10.97 at Walmart.
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