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

There has been a wheelchair and ramp for Barbie for quite a while. They are quite sort after. They can be used for teaching about disability and differences, but kids can also see their older relatives like grandparents represented in their play.

People of colour talk about how important it was for them to see people like themselves represented on TV as kids. And I think it is no different for kids with a disability or disability in their family. I can imagine a child being thrilled that their toy represents them, their autistic best friend or sibling, and it sounds like Mattel has done research with real kids. But as not everyone uses fidget spinners or ear defenders, without them it’s just Side-Eye Barbie as it isn’t necessarily a physical disability

Which is precisely why having a doll that purports to represent ‘autism’ is on many levels quite offensive? Is there a Black, Asian or Hispanic Autistic Barbie or just a white one? I get that it was well meaning, but autism is a socalled ‘hidden’ disability - why can’t they simply market the accessories so that any Barbie can have the items that a child might chose to use to adapt their doll to represent themselves, whether that be headphones, spinners, glasses, a walking stick or a wheelchair?

I actually think this is the key point, it's good that Mattel are representing different disabilities, the problem is autism is still quite poorly understood (to the extent it may be several conditions under one umbrella). So inevitably any attempt to simplify it into a single doll will fail and offend those who don't fit the Mattel-defined mould.

I take issue with people scoffing at representation generally - it does play a part in normalising disability.

Exactly! 🙄 My Autistic girl has neither of those things, yet was diagnosed with Autism at 4yrs old… She looks (& dresses) exactly like any other girl her age!

I massively disagree, they do not have ‘a look’ at all. Certainly not the majority of girls with Autism!

Oh yes I forgot they did a Down Syndrome Barbie. On googling it there are also baby dolls from other brands with Down Syndrome. Never knew that

There's been a wheelchair user barbie for over twenty years.

I have no problem with this doll other than the one I have with Barbies generally which is that they promote unrealistic and toxic standards of beauty.

How is the diabetic Barbie any different? Not all T1 diabetics have pumps or CGMs.

And I think an IPad or some kind of tablet. And a “gaze to the side” to avoid eye contact.

Likewise, mum of an autistic DC, I was a bit sceptical as I think kids will be into Barbies or not, but actually it sounds fine to me. Representation of some widely common traits seems like a good thing to me.

The first one was in 1997 but unfortunately she (ironically) couldn't fit into the Dreamhouse but instead of adapting the house she was retired from sale.

I think this is a classic example of parent of autistic children thinking they speak for all autistic children. Your child wouldn't like this: ok, don't buy it for them, then. Other posters have said their autistic DDs would like it. ASD is such a broad, complex spectrum.

They have done several Barbies with different conditions i think they do have one in a wheel chair

I think this is a good thing - it teaches inclusivity and that we’re all perfect and belong just as we are.

There must be a number of people out there that have waited for this doll - I’m happy for them.

We're a ND family, I don't love it, it feels a bit heavy handed but I like the general move away from the typical Barbie? Maybe they could have done an ASD backpack of accessories as an add on

It is a fair point, about just being able to purchase certain aids for the dolls. The marketing teams would have no doubt looked at what would likely bring in more revenue, hence the different dolls, included with the aids, etc. Time will tell if 'Autistic Barbie' is a hit for them, or not.

why can’t they simply market the accessories so that any Barbie can have the items that a child might chose to use to adapt their doll to represent themselves

££££?

I really don't see an issue. No different to wheelchair barbie or barbie with a hearing aid.

Some children really like seeing themselves represented with toys and it also might be a good learning tool for other children too.

What's the problem? Not every autistic child will see themselves represented in the doll, but some will. Some will love the fact that she has accessories that represent things they might use, like the noise cancelling headphones and the communication device. No doll will ever be all things to all people but I think this is a nice form of inclusivity which will make some children very happy.

And there's a curvy Barbie that my daughter has 😂

Well they can never truly represent everyone on the spectrum
But with an ACC device fidget spinner ,ear defenders at least trying to show how diverse autism is.

What would you suggest then?

Surely anything that is inclusive is a positive thing

My daughter has asd and would never wear clothes like that 🤷🏼‍♀️ not all children carry a tablet, wear ear defenders all the time 🙄

Why are you disagreeing with a mother who is telling you about her own daughter?