Ignore the cynics, the new autistic Barbie is a very good thing |
Ignore the backlash, the new autistic Barbie is a step in the right direction for representation, writes Herald Columnist Marissa MacWhirter.
Every child deserves to feel accepted and represented in the world. But unsurprisingly, the release of the first autistic Barbie earlier this week has whipped up a bit of a frenzy around where representation ends, and harmful stereotypes begin.
The doll is the latest addition to American toy company Mattel’s well-intentioned Barbie Fashionistas line and follows last year’s release of a Barbie with Type 1 diabetes. Other dolls in the range include a doll with Down Syndrome, a series of dolls with limb differences and a blind doll.
Designed over 18 months in partnership with the Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN), the Barbie has been given a slew of features associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). She has moveable wrists for stimming and hand flapping and eyes that gaze off to the side to avoid direct eye contact. She has pink noise-cancelling headphones to reduce sensory overload, a fidget spinner (that actually spins) to reduce stress, and a tablet showing a communication app. Her purple dress is loose-fitting for less fabric-to-skin contact, and her flat Mary Jane shoes are suitable for toe walking.
For some parents, the doll is something to be celebrated. One parent told the BBC that the Barbie made her five-year-old feel special, as she too wears ear defenders. Other parents have been more critical, suggesting that Barbie is offensive. “A doll that depicts an autistic woman wearing headphones, loose clothing, and ear defenders, who is gazing awkwardly and hand flapping, feeds all the stereotypes that parents like me try to debunk,” one mother wrote to Grazia.
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