US EditionAutism Advocates Celebrate Release of ‘Magical’ First-Ever Barbie on the Spectrum
Mattel developed the autistic Barbie with Autistic Self Advocacy Network input, donating 1,000+ dolls to pediatric hospitals to support representation and sensory needs.
- On Monday, Mattel unveiled its first Barbie designed to represent autism, launching on Mattel Shop and major stores including Target for about $11.87.
- Mattel spent more than 18 months working with the Autistic Self Advocacy Network , developing a doll designed to reflect some ways autistic individuals experience and navigate the world.
- The doll features articulated elbows and wrists to allow stimming-like gestures, a slightly averted eye gaze, and sensory-conscious accessories including a pink fidget spinner, noise-cancelling headphones, and a tablet with symbol-based AAC apps.
- Supporters praised the new Barbie, though some in the autistic community said representation is more complicated; Mattel will donate more than 1,000 dolls to pediatric hospitals in Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles.
- Part of the Barbie Fashionistas line, the new doll joins more than 175 looks and Mattel plans a wider release later this year at retailers including Walmart, noting it can't represent every autistic child.
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The company Mattel Inc. launched on Monday a new Barbie inspired by the Autistic Spectrum Disorder (TEA), as part of its strategy to strengthen representation and inclusion in its toy line.The model was incorporated into the Barbie Fashionistas collection, recognized for including dolls with different physical, sensory and body conditions.The doll developed for over 18 months in conjunction with the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, a non-profit o…
Neurodivergence: The first autistic Barbie wears headphones and has flexible wrists and elbows. An American advocacy group for people…
It joins the collection that includes Barbie with Down syndrome, blind or type 1 diabetes.
First Autistic Barbie Doll Revealed By Mattel: 'Every Child Deserves To See Themselves'
Popular toymaker Mattel Inc. is expanding its push for inclusive play with the launch of its first autistic Barbie. On Sunday, the company added the doll to its Fashionistas line, which features models with a range of hair textures, skin tones, body types, medical conditions and disabilities. Mattel partnered with the Autistic Self Advocacy Network The autistic doll had been in development for more than 18 months in partnership with Autistic Sel…
Mattel Just Unveiled Their First Autistic Barbie Doll & Her Accessories Are Perfection
Barbies with Type 1 diabetes, Down syndrome, and blindness have all hit shelves in recent years as the doll’s parent company, Mattel, strives to add more and more inclusive toys to their iconic Barbie lineup. And to start off 2026, Mattel just unveiled their first-ever autistic Barbie doll, designed in collaboration with the Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN).In a press release revealing the doll, Mattel said she was developed over an 18-mont…
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