Barbie has made history once more with the launch of its first-ever autistic doll. Mattel has created the doll with guidance from the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, ensuring that representation of the community felt truly authentic.
Ellie Middleton, an autistic and ADHD author and creator, worked directly on the campaign with Mattel to make sure the doll felt genuine. In a statement she said: "To now have an autistic Barbie doll makes me so emotional."
"Statistics show that young girls are often undiagnosed or misdiagnosed, so to have a powerful symbol like this autistic Barbie doll helps bring the conversation around neurodivergence in women to the forefront, so that autistic girls can feel accepted and seen."
Autistic Barbie has been carefully created with design features that are intentional. Her eyes gaze slightly to the side, reflective of how some members of the autistic community might avoid direct eye contact. Her elbows and wrists allow stimming and hand flapping - hand gestures that are sometimes used by members of the community to express themselves.
And like every Barbie, it's all about the accessories. Autistic Barbie comes with a pink fidget spinner - a sensory gadget often used to help reduce stress symptoms. Her matching headphones can also help reduce sensory overload by blocking out external noise. The doll even comes with a tablet showing AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) on its screen - a prompt used by members of the community to help them communicate.
The doll has received mostly positive feedback from the public. On X, one user commented: “Pleased to see Barbie getting away from the ableist societal stereotypes,” while another said: “The world is changing for neurodivergent children. Long may it continue.” Not all online reactions have been as positive, with some X users questioning its “purpose.” One user commented: “What are those folks doing outside of expanding product line?”
With so much conversation around the new doll, Autistic Barbie will certainly bring attention to the community.