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Mattel has launched its first ever autistic Barbie, the newest addition to its various Barbie Fashionistas assortment.
Designed in partnership with the Autistic Self Advocacy Community (ASAN), the brand new Barbie is meant to replicate actual autistic folks’s experiences, with Mattel stating that it “invitations extra youngsters to see themselves represented” within the doll.
“Barbie has all the time strived to replicate the world youngsters see and the probabilities they think about, and we’re proud to introduce our first autistic Barbie as a part of that ongoing work,” mentioned Mattel’s world head of dolls Jamie Cygielman.
As such, the autistic Barbie comes carrying a unfastened becoming lavender and white striped costume, flat-soled sneakers, and pink noise-cancelling headphones — clothes knowledgeable by the sartorial selections folks could make when managing sensory processing points. As becoming her give attention to trend, Barbie’s headphones are color coordinated along with her pill (which exhibits symbol-based apps designed to allow communication with out talking) and her fidget spinner (which really spins).
Mashable Development Report
Credit score: Mattel
Barbie’s physique additionally options articulated elbow and wrist joints so she will stim, whereas her gaze is intentionally shifted barely off-centre. Mattel states that this design alternative “displays how some members of the autistic neighborhood could keep away from direct eye contact.” Her hair can be worn unfastened, “as autism can impression advantageous motor expertise.”
“It’s so vital for younger autistic folks to see genuine, joyful representations of themselves, and that’s precisely what this doll is,” mentioned ASAN govt director Colin Killick. “We’re honored to see this milestone come to life, and we are going to preserve pushing for extra illustration like this that helps our neighborhood in dreaming huge and residing proud.”
Mattel has additional introduced it should donate over 1000 autistic Barbie dolls to numerous U.S. youngsters’s hospitals that present particular companies for autistic youngsters.
This autistic Barbie is not the primary doll within the Barbie Fashionistas assortment with a incapacity. The corporate beforehand launched a Barbie with Down syndrome in 2023, in addition to each a blind doll and one with kind 1 diabetes final yr. The Barbie Fashionistas assortment consists of over 175 dolls, spanning throughout completely different pores and skin tones, physique varieties, and disabilities.
Autistic Barbie is accessible now for $10.99 at Amazon and Goal, and $10.97 at Walmart.
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