Watch: Autistic Barbie doll launch welcomed as ‘milestone’ in representation

Each doll also comes with a pink fidget spinner to reduce stress and improve focus, and noise-cancelling headphones to block out background sounds.

The launch of the first autistic Barbie doll has been welcomed by campaigners and charities as a step towards more “authentic, joyful” representation for neurodivergent children.

The doll features specific design choices intended to reflect some experiences to which autistic people might relate.

These include loose clothing to ensure less fabric-to-skin contact and an eye gaze slightly to the side, to represent the way some autistic people might avoid direct eye contact.

Each doll also comes with a pink fidget spinner to reduce stress and improve focus, and noise-cancelling headphones to block out background sounds and therefore limit sensory overload.

Creators Mattel said the doll “invites more children to see themselves represented in Barbie”.

The finished product was created with input from the Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) in an effort to hear first-hand from the autistic community on the kinds of features the doll should have.

The network described the doll as a “milestone” in representation and said it was “thrilled” to help with the design, adding: “It is so important for young autistic people to see authentic, joyful representations of themselves, and that’s exactly what this doll is.” 

Other features include moveable elbows and wrists to allow gestures which creators said might be used by some autistic people to process sensory information or express excitement, and a pink tablet symbolising the way some people might use digital tools to help with their everyday communication.

Ellie Middleton, an autistic writer who regularly shares her experiences online, described the doll as a “powerful symbol” for young girls in feeling accepted.

"To now have an autistic Barbie doll makes me so emotional," she said.

“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.” 

For more information on the product, visit the Mattel website