Mattel have made an autistic Barbie

[IwishIwasacaterpillar]

I find this quite odd. Autism doesn’t have a look.
my child is autistic and I would not have bought them one when they were young

Carried out a study have you? Checked every assumption out and never been wrong? Please stop being so horrible. People like you are the ones that make autistic people afraid to speak of their diagnosis.

eh?

Oh my goodness.
With the kindest intent, please take pause and self-reflect.

Agreed, there's every likelyhood that being on the spectrum yourself ( +close family members) you'll regularly recognise not only overt but also sometimes more subtle traits that may be present in SOME people you observe/encounter, who you seem to applaud yourself at deducing are autistic, also.

However, when gleefully congratulating yourself (and modelling the same attitude to your daughtler) what you've crucially failed to appreciate is that this merely proves a positive not a negative.
In other words, you've ignored the fact that additional people with autism will be in your orbit every day (and even have interactions with) who don't fit the stereotype or 'look/eyes' YOU'VE convinced yourself are a given.
Thus, they'll be on their way without you giving them a second thought.

This is why what you've been saying has been getting push-back on this thread, and (in case unintended) comes across wildly ignorant, arrogant, and tone-deaf.

Sincerely,
S.V.

It was the other way around actually. My daughter made me realise that we can often spot people.

nothing gleeful, I stated a fact. Some took offence. Goodness knows why. Not my problem.

Yes but a child who uses a wheelchair may want a doll that is like her. The various Barbies have been popular with many children with disabilities.

If you go to school wearing noise cancelling headphones having a doll that does the same could be kind of cool.

Just another person with autism adding my voice to the "this poster is an offensive idiot" list.

Your not the autism whisperer love.

Ive had lovely supportive messages about you on PM by the way. I wonder what you are getting out of this?
Im very disappointed in Mumsnet that so many of your 'its a look around the eyes' comments have remained, with the claim you can diagnose! If anyone said that about gay people there would uproar.

Anyway, you are delusional and offensive. You can't diagnose, neither can your daughter. Facts.

They definitely have a wheelchair user one I don't know about the others.
As a wheelchair user I know my daughter and I were really pleased to wheelchair user Lego and Barbie figures and Playmobil too actually to use when we were playing imaginary games with them

I have reported every comment this poster made that was offensive
I'm very disappointed in Mumsnet for leaving the dreadful offensive..it's in the eyes comments up .
If this was about racism it would be zapped ,but as autism we are fair game apparently

I just keep reporting it ,in the hope Mumsnet finally realises it is offensive

Ah but two others I reported for being offensive have been zapped ,so that's something,thankyou Mumsnet

I can’t recall the specific channel, but I believe Barbie made the doll directly for a young lady who is autistic, loves the colour purple, Barbie, and all of the accessories included. They’ve then gone on to roll it out. I think it’s been released with the best intentions

The thing with autism..is
If you have met one person with autism..You've met one person with autism
There isn't a look ..full stop ..
So literally they could of just made any random doll look like any one of us ,given it the customary add on of noise cancelling headphones ect and the odd spinner and called it a doll with autism..and who's to say that would be wrong, because chances are it would look like someone autistic somewhere in the world .
I'd like to think they meant well ..and it was coming from a good place ..chances are more likely it's just a way to increase sales

Mumsnet will remove all posts that break the rules. My posts do not.

Yes, I have no doubt the main aim from Mattel was to make money, but I am glad of the representation for young girls (and boys as boys do play with dolls).

The organisation that helped with the development of the doll is one that has helped my daughter in the past. She used their resources to help her come to terms with her diagnosis etc. I'm glad that Autism Speaks was nowhere near the process.

It does break the rules.

Here 'We'll remove posts we consider to contain personal attacks, to break the law and/or to be obscene, racist, sexist, disablist, ageist, homophobic or transphobic, once they are brought to our attention.'

Stating autistic people have a 'look' and you and your daughter can spot it and diagnose people is unequivocally, undeniably ableist. MN have dropped the ball allowing you to continue.

To give you some perspective, if anyone at work had said what you said - and we are all in the business of assessing autism - they would be in very serious trouble and probably lose their job.

The same headphones have been as accessory for older barbies, the blank stare- some autistic people avoid eye contact so the barbie shouod have been looking to the side ,the eyes look yes blank like on all barbies nothing new there. But of course she is usual super thing long legged in high heels and a mini skirt,cause autistic people dress that way…. Its pointless virtue signalling exercise and i will not buy one for my kids

We will agree to disagree. Have a lovely day & I hope that this new toy helps some children feel seen & represented.

I have seen a few memes on Facebook about this ,it appears ti have divided.opnion Globally
One showed a picture of the same doll with messy hair and a cracked iPad, and yes I know not all people with autism will have messy hair and be destructive either
It did make me smile as the parent of an extremely destructive young man with autism.

Completely agree with this ,and have told Mumsnet they are wrong leaving to stand

@x2boys I like this version.

Look at bpd barbie 🤣 (I have bpd)

The was a mock up of an "Autistic Ken" I saw too.
I thought it was unrealistic because he wasn't holding a toy train.
(JOKE)

The menopausal barbie was also very funny 🤣@