Autistic Barbie has been launched

The first-ever autistic Barbie doll has been unveiled by toy company Mattel, garnering widespread reaction online.

The doll – which comes with shifted eye gaze, noise-cancelling headphones and a fidget spinner – has been created with guidance from the autistic community to represent common ways autistic people may experience, process, and communicate about the world around them, Mattel said.

Other features include elbow and wrist articulation, “enabling stimming, hand flapping, and other hand gestures that some members of the autistic community use to process sensory information or express excitement”, a pink tablet and sensory-sensitive clothes.

The doll forms part of the Barbie Fashionistas collection, which features a diverse range of skin tones, hair textures, body types, and various medical conditions and disabilities.

“Barbie has always strived to reflect the world kids see and the possibilities they imagine, and we’re proud to introduce our first autistic Barbie as part of that ongoing work,” said Jamie Cygielman, global head of dolls at Mattel.

“The doll, designed with guidance from the Autistic Self Advocacy Network,........

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