US toy maker Mattel releases first autistic Barbie doll

(MENAFN) US toy company Mattel has unveiled its first autistic Barbie, expanding its flagship line as part of a broader effort to showcase diversity and inclusivity. Developed over 18 months with guidance from the autistic community, the doll joins the ‘Barbie Fashionistas’ collection, which already includes dolls representing children with type 1 diabetes, Down syndrome, and blindness, aiming to help more children “see themselves in Barbie.”

The doll’s design includes eyes that gaze slightly to one side, reflecting how some autistic individuals “avoid direct eye contact.” She has bendable elbows and wrists to accommodate repetitive movements like stimming and hand-flapping. Accessories include a fidget spinner, noise-canceling headphones, and a tablet with symbol-based communication apps. Her loose-fitting dress is intended to reflect “sensory sensitive” clothing preferences.

Mattel described the release as “yet another step in making the Barbie brand a more inclusive reflection of the children who play with it.”

Since Barbie’s debut in 1959, the line did not include dolls with disabilities until 2019. In recent years, the company has expanded the collection to feature dolls with a wide range of skin tones, hair textures, body types, and abilities. The lineup now includes dolls who are blind, use wheelchairs, have hearing aids, prosthetic limbs, or vitiligo, along with Ken dolls with prosthetic legs or wheelchairs.

Mattel has also introduced dolls representing cultural diversity, including a Barbie wearing a hijab in tribute to Olympic fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad. Other toy makers have taken similar steps; for example, Lego released a minifigure of a young man in a wheelchair in 2016 as part of its ‘Toys Like Me’ campaign.

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