A ROW has blown up over the launch of the first autistic Barbie — complete with noise-cancelling headphones and fidget spinner.
The £13.99 doll, designed by people with autism, is part of an effort by makers Mattel to make children feel more included.
Her unique features include eyes that gaze slightly to the side, representing a dislike of direct eye contact.
The headphones represent how the devices can reduce sensory overload by blocking out background noise, while the fidget spinner can reduce stress and improve focus.
She also has elbow and wrist articulation, enabling hand gestures that some people use to process sensory information or express excitement.
And she holds a tablet showing symbol-based Augmentative and Alternative Communication, or AAC — which can help those with the condition to express themselves.
But some people in the autism community are not happy about the doll.
Dr Kristyn Sommer, a psychologist who also has autism, said: “I had hoped this Barbie was not going to be labelled autistic because it is every single stereotype of what is a palatable autistic girl and that isn’t true representation or visibility for autistic girls.
“It’s making them fit into a neuro-normative box yet again while simultaneously destroying one of the few safe spaces they have to just be themselves — their own imaginative world with their (already) autistic Barbies.
“The autistic community have said many times online that this exact representation of an autistic Barbie would be a tragedy.”
Others are thrilled by the figurine, with campaigner Ellie Middleton saying: “To now have an autistic Barbie doll makes me so emotional.
“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.”
US organisation the Autistic Self Advocacy Network helped design the doll.
It said: “We’re honoured to see this milestone come to life, and we will keep pushing for more representation like this that supports our community in dreaming big and living proud.”
Mattel has sold over a billion Barbie dolls since she was introduced in 1959.
In 2023, a live-action film was released with Margot Robbie as Barbie and Ryan Gosling as boyfriend Ken.
