I took a closer look. The lack of a fucking puzzle piece was encouraging. Then I noticed the box. This was done in collaboration with ASAN. So Mattel literally talked to autistic people. Honestly, that's really fantastic.

Might be nice for kids who use such devices. Some people can’t communicate without them, and the accessories can be taken and put on a barbie that looks more like them. I really don’t see the harm in it, it’s like the rest of their disabled barbies.

"The headphones and the tablet that looks like it's used for non verbal communication honestly feel kinda insulting to me" - okay, but why? Lots of autistic children use these headphones and comminicate non-verbally, they're an accessibility device. 

There's deffo room for criticism in terms of capitalistic profiting from representation etc, but I do think a lot of your own criticism comes across as "well I'M not autistic like THAT!" and dismissive of the fact that there are people with different autistic traits and support needs to you. I'm sure some little autistic kids who use headphones/comminicate non-verbally/avoid eye contact will love seeing a doll who they can relate to. You played with your own Barbies in a way that mattered to you and that's great - autistic kids still have access to those Barbies if they wish, and now they've got another one to join them.

I was also very into dolls! And I still am but now with adult money

I really love this Barbie. The spectrum is too wide, as we know, to really cater to all of us. However she fits for me, and I really love that. Not to say everyone will relate to her, of course.

The accessories are wonderful for my personal experience, even with the board that I can't relate to. You can really still apply your imagination and use the kit as you would like to. I can use the pieces for another Barbie that looks more like me for example!

Im gonna be honest this sounds like a good thing and inclusion

I think I understand how you feel with this one. I’m pretty low support needs myself, and I really struggled to get a diagnosis because my autism wasn’t “visible” enough. That said, I’m really glad this Barbie exists. A lot of autism can be visible, and many people need aids like AAC, headphones, crutches, and more.

There’s a lot of bigotry surrounding AAC and the people who use it. They’re automatically assumed to be “stupid” or talked about like they’re not around; the devices they need to speak can be taken away, paywalled, or censored; and they aren’t treated with the real respect they deserve as human beings. (I’ve included some links to posts by people who do use AAC, so you can hear their voices too instead of just me yapping.)

I think this doll can do a lot of good! It’ll help kids view those who use aids as people just like them. And maybe the impact won’t be huge, but anything that helps combat internalized ableism is a net good in my book.

I think you're making too big of a deal over a brand thats trying their best to be inclusive. I was shocked but also yay about the Ken doll that was Vitaligo because my Aunt has it too.

Being that Twyla in Monster High specifically is Autism coded, its nice to have another doll that is marketable to those who aren't into spooky besides the Luna Lovegood doll (for those who refuse to support HP monetarily).

Just curious OP, are you also offended by the barbies in wheelchairs?

Autism is an invisible disability, so technically all Barbies can be "Autistic Barbie"🙃 Really appreciate the inclusion though; as a child this would have meant a lot to me

Why is it always autistic people with low support needs saying these things? Some autistic people need devices to communicate, others don't, and that's okay, this doll is made for children who use those devices, it's good to see yourself represented on a doll.

On one hand an autism accessory pack would’ve been more inclusive and representative to the idea that any Barbie can be autistic. On the other hand, no one would buy the autism accessory pack compared to the autistic Barbie.

So you run into the classic outreach problem of sacrificing nuance to increase outreach. For a product meant for small children, this is a good trade off. The nuance would’ve been lost on most of the kids anyway.

Im sure kids who use these items are going to be over the moon. For me ever Barbie is autistic when I played but I wasn't even diagnosed back when I played with dolls, lol.

See it as something good for some kids out there who are going to be like "Barbie truly is like me!" And it'll make their day.

Edit: read their article on their page, this isn't just a random Barbie. They put in a lot of thought with the accessories and explaining her dress. She even has extra articulation points for stimming?? I'll buy her.

Sure it's capitalism all over to sell your disabilities, but my point still stands. Me and a lot of kids out there are going to be over the moon for this doll. She's great and thought through.

I’ve always been more of a transformers guy tbh. Not too familiar with Barbie stuff. So imma take the time to show off my BONECRUSHER.

https://preview.redd.it/a3ngy4lo9wcg1.jpeg?width=4284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=89f7df25c55c393552b9bef08ca06e05e9730bf9

And for those interested, this is an oversized version of MPM-14 XD

Though in terms of making an inclusive toy like this, I don’t really see the harm of it. Isn’t the point of each Barbie doll that each has their own identity, features and everything else?

As someone who both sometimes does absolutely NEED ear defenders and AAC to function and works with kids who also NEED these tools, it's been so depressing to see so many other autistic folks get so upset about representation that looks like us. Like, "visibly" autistic folks get enough shit from everyone else, believe me. We don't need it from our community too the moment we finally get some positive representation. What else do we have? The literal only protagonist I can think of that uses AAC is Melody from Out of My Mind, and she is not autistic. There are some indie books too, but nothing else I can find that is mainstream. We have nothing else. 

As somebody who works with autism in women... Yes. We needed this.

We needed this badly and if you are mad that Mattel got theirs first, then you should be mad at capitalism or the patriarchy because women with autism are invisible to almost everyone. This was a way to be less invisible.

I think you might be experiencing imposter syndrome or something

I'm a Puerto Rican Autistic woman who uses fidget toys and uses noise cancelling earbuds and this doll makes me so happy. Mattel even worked with an organization that's run by Autistic people. I'm going to buy her.

tw ableism, looks inside, disabled representation that doesn't looks like op

...pal, the ableism here is NOT the Barbie

I don't have an issue with this.

What is yours?

I'm not gonna wade into the comments. I'm just gonna say... You're allowed to be uncomfortable. It's possible you've got internalized ableism, and this might be that, or it might not be. It's worth examining, but after stepping back. Getting a big response like this is... A lot.

Also keep in mind that, as much as we autistic folks are known to attach to things, Barbie is still a brand, Mattel still wants nothing more than to make money. We can hope they do things well, but in the end, they'll put out the doll they think will sell, or will drum up interest enough to impact other dolls' sales, too. My point is: try not to get too caught up in the sales decisions of a corporation. I know that's easier said than done, though.

if you don't understand something maybe you weren't the objective public.

Mattel is releasing a line of disabled barbies, and autism is a disability, so why wouldn't they add it?

The clothes look made of a soft fabric, not too many accessories besides the headphones and tablet, that seems more sensory friendly for autistics.

Also i think there are visual signs of autism, I've been told many times that i do look autistic, maybe the way i walk or stand up, my facial expressions or how i stare at things...

It doesn't mean only that barbie can be autistic, it means that barbie was made to represent autistic people, if neurotypical kids see that barbie they will understand that autistic people are common and normal, and they are people too.

Something similar happened with the blind barbie, many people were saying things like "but blind kids can't see the barbie anyways", but the barbie had many textures in their clothes and accessories (the cane for example) that blind people could touch, the barbie also had strabismus, and it's not only for blind children, maybe for a kid who's parent is blind, and they'll be happy to have a barbie like them, or if they see a blind person on the street the kid will associate them with the barbie.

We need representation and we're getting it, why be mad? autism can be shown in many ways and this one isn't wrong

Children feeling represented in the toys they play with is in fact a good thing.

I'm a doll collector and this is actually really cute to me and I plan on getting her once she releases in my country. I don't personally find anything wrong with this. I have many dolls of Twyla, a monster high character who also canonically has autism and she's very important to me. You are entitled to your feelings though!

Sorry if it comes out weird, and I'm not in any way accusing you of anything, but your "only way kids would think autism looks like" may be about her skin tone as well.

Would they think only dark skinned girls can be autistic? I doubt it.

The same goes for accessories. If a kid into barbie dolls, they might just use given accessories for other doll, making that one autistic. Or use none of them. Or only headphones.

I get where you're coming from, as some kids don't need those accommodations. But how would you make doll "lvl 1" autistic, for those kids who need lvl 1-2 representation? Autism doesn't have a "look" after all.

Another example - blindness. Some people can't see at all. Some people are legally blind but still can see light or colours. Some need special glasses to see. Some see normal-enough up close. If a kid doesn't use service dog, but relays on stick for blindness (dunno name sorry), would they think they are not really blind if they see a doll with a service dog? If their parents are broke and unable to buy them special glasses, dog or a stick, would it make them less blind?

Again, not in any way accusing you of anything, just wanna clarify. It does seem like a nice doll for those kids who relate, and for those who doesn't - they can just put accessories away.

I think anything that normalizes accommodations our peers may need is a good thing.

I like that it normalizes that women can be autistic as well.

I think it will help handhold boomers to the realization that autism IS real for lower needs individuals. It will help teach them that we’re all not like Sheldon Cooper or the high needs cliches. Other generations can have these view obviously, but boomers are the worst offenders IME.

As a child, whenever I saw dolls that looked like me, or even had accessories that reminded me of myself, I felt really happy. If this doll existed back then, I wouls have been thrilled.

And I really appreciate the fact that a classic brand so (stereotypically) associated with femininity made it. I like that it's a feminine doll with darker skin. Hopefully it will make kids feel included.

Yes, any Barbie can be autistic, and while I'm not non verbal so I don't use a comunication tablet, I do use headphones all the time(noise isolating or not) so I thought it was cute to see a barbie who has them! I don't have any Barbies like that, I imagine a non verbal kid out there is happy too, I just hope they can buy it, barbie prices are ridicilous these days

If it makes some kid who needs those things feel more comfortable with themself and their disability then what the hell is the harm?

"Wow, this item intended to provide some representation to an underserved demographic is shit because it doesn't represent the way I want it to."

These were not your words but this is the spirit of your entire post. That is certainly the impression your post gives anyway. I don't know what your actual emotions or interior view of this are beyond your words. But your words come across, to the majority as you've seen, as ableist and gross.

This is an opportunity for you to look inward and work on yourself. Take what people have said here in explaining why this very narrow take is also harmful to autistics, and grow from it.

My knee jerk reaction is that this is dumb and minimising and dinky little tablets aren’t autism but then I remember this is for literal children not people with fully formed frontal cortexes so it’s probably good, it’s simple visually and not too complex to understand with the accessories so meh :)

Honestly outside of the sensory hell that is the bottom of that dress, this is the first doll that’s made me feel seen.  You might not be that kind of autistic. I am. 

Sometimes it’s okay for things to represent some of us. 

I feel like pretty much everyone else said everything already. Autistic people are not a monolith. Ever. This Barbie does in fact represent a LOT of autistic people. Hell, seeing the headphones made me smile, since I live in mine.

I think it’s a good thing that they’re coming at representation with genuine autistic traits and accessibility tools that a lot of us do in fact need.

I feel like a lot of autistic people struggle with this. “I’m not autistic like THAT, so that’s wrong.” But being autistic is a vast and wide spectrum, and I think we would all benefit from remembering that. I see it all the time with other aspects of the community.

No shade, OP, genuinely. I’ve been guilty of that line of thinking in the past. I like to think I do better now, but I get it. Cheers

An assumed adult person getting upset about a toy for kids. Get a day jobbbb. It’s called a spectrum for a reason.

So my thought is that some children mirror characters that exist easier then they can imagine characters on their own. Even though Barbies are awesome for fully imaginative play there are also “characters” in the Barbie universe with some level of consistency across doll lines ( like Barbie’s ginger friend Midge or her youngest sister being Kelly) I feel like picking a character to be representative of an autistic experience can make it easier for some children to interact with the concepts and also gives them a place to start when they’re ready to start imagining stories of their own

All that being said, god I wish that disability tools for dolls weren’t only sold in sets like this. I think a doll set should exist but I should be able to buy the headphones/ speech device and also the Barbie wheelchair all separately. Locking those pieces away from other dolls without spending the full cost seems like the scummiest thing here

I think it's a good first step, but I kinda wish they had just made an accessories pack that could be applied to all Barbies so that, for example, Astronaut Barbie can be Autistic. I guess it's the same way they don't sell just a wheelchair or a glucose monitor or something, they have to include a doll along with the stuff. Hopefully it's just the beginning of more visibility and awareness.

You're feeling the heartless capitalistic machine focus in on something relatable and spit out merch for profit.

You're feeling weird seeing representation come with a hefty profit margin.

>>> Edit: Wow. Did not expect to have some call me ableist and say they were "so sick of high functioning autistic people acting like low functioning individuals are something to be embarrassed and ashamed of" when I posted this...

That is objectively not what they said. Re-read their comment.

aw i like her : ( i have some critiques ofc bc i also have Doll/Toy Autism but overall i think she is very cute and that children will like to play with her....

I mean the whole "any Barbie could be autistic so why make this specific one" could be applied to any other Barbie with any other disability or even career. When I was a kid (even now as a collector) I didn't always keep the Barbies in their designated clothes or accessories. Barbies have always had this sort of starting off point in characterization, it doesn't mean the kids playing with them can't designate other Barbies to have the same disability/career/hobby in their own imagination.

It's also very ableist to call representation of headphones and AAC "insulting." As someone with low support needs who doesn't need those either, why are we pressed about the autistic people who do need them getting represented?

I think it’s nice. Both for kids with autism to feel like a toy company sees them enough to make an item “for them”, but it also gets other kids who aren’t autistic to understand a little bit better and normalize it. They see Barbie wears headphones, maybe it’s not a big deal if a girl in class wears them. Or maybe they’re not shocked if they see someone using a device.

There are all types of Barbies and they’ve been doing a diversity line of dolls for Barbies with disabilities. For example, one Barbie has a hearing aid. You can pretend any Barbie is deaf, but having a Barbie with one makes people with hearing aids feel included and less self conscious. That you’re not just an outlier, but an actual demographic where someone thought about you when making this full product.

I don’t really see how the headphones or tablet could be insulting. Some people with autism use them, so they would be included. If you don’t use an AAC, you can play with your autism Barbie without it.

I also just saw that this doll doesn’t make direct eye contact like the other Barbies and I think that’s so sweet!

I’m so excited about Autistic Barbie yall don’t even know.

I love her design so much. I love that she has headphones, a stim toy, and an AAC device and they are all super girly and cute. I love that she has movable joints so that she can stim and be flexible. I love that she’s got some comfy clothes on with minimal layers (I relate to that) And I love that she’s a woman of colour- a group statistically under represented when it comes to ASD. I am super excited that her accessories are removable so that you can not only customize her to YOUR autism experience if you want, but also you can give her tools to a Barbie that looks like YOU. I think it’s so cool that Mattel is working with an organization run by Autistic people and is calling her “Autistic Barbie” rather than “Barbie with autism” I hope they come out with either more autistic Barbie’s, or have her accessories as a cheaper pack so you can buy them for your own Barbie.

The only downside I can see here is that her outfit is a bit bland, all things considered. But i noticed recently Barbie outfits have been downgraded a lot lately. Even when i was a teen I remember them being higher quality than they are now. I also think that it’s a bit of a shame that because she has actual joints, she will be a bit more expensive that the regular dolls. I liked it better when they were all the same price. But I think it’s better do to the bendy arms than not in the long run. And like I said- they could always sell the accessories as a separate pack.

Overall tho I’m super excited. I’ve had my eye set on this doll since her announcement so I’m excited to finally be able to buy her.

Awww I loved playing with dolls when I was a kid, I had a rich imagination but I also like... played the exact same game and story basically everytime and took me months to slowly change the story a bit which should've been a BIG sign. I think it's cute! Kids deserve all kinds of representation! My niece had to use one of those things that covers her eyes as a toddler to correct her vision and she was super embarassed, so I made her a ton of stories and drawings of her as a badass pirate and it helped her a lot. All my dolls were autistic and bisexual but hey, maybe some kids will like her nonverbal acessories

Idk my sister wears noise-canceling 24-7 and communicates with a tablet. It'd be cool if when she was a little kid a single other kid encountered this idea through the toy bin and could see her and go ohh! Same-same! I think its better than nothin.

I mean, I can see this making kids more comfortable with wearing headphones or using a board.

After skimming through some of the conversation here, I don't understand why the answer isn't "this is good and they should make MORE autistic barbies."

Yeah, not everyone's presentation of autism fits this doll. But do the kids who do feel represented deserve to have that taken away? Representation of autism in girls of color is absurdly rare, and this barbie would inspire a lot of confidence in the kids that want/need her. The doll itself is cute and I'm happy it exists.

I’m so sick of people who love to call themselves autistic but get uncomfortable at the slightest mention, representation, or presence of someone who is obviously and shamelessly autistic who is low functioning / has high support needs. Channel this energy into things that actually harm autistics, not representation that will make them feel seen and heard

I don’t have a problem with it. It’s to help kids feel included and have a doll that represents them. Yes it’s a bit stereotyped to have headphones but there is a limited amount of visual representation you can really have tbf. It’s harmless and if it helps some kids to feel included then great! I think it’s harmless

Mattel already forgetting that they made Twyla in Monster High G3 Autistic. But I guess since Twyla isn't part of the main franchise for Mattel they don't count her as their first Autistic character doll.

I think they’re nice

I see nothing wrong with this Barbie. I think she's pretty cute. I think we have to remind ourselves that she's NOT the definitive representation of autism. She's just a doll that happens to have autism. I personally would wear a dress like that no problem.

Any autistic representation runs the risk of "this is what autism looks like" instead of "this is one way autism can look." This doesn't mean we don't want/need representation. As long as the representation is honest, and not misrepresenting autism, its most likely good representation.

I see nothing wrong with this doll. It showcases a real and common way autism can look. There are many autistic people who have communication struggles and who use accessibility devices like this.

It says its not meant to represent all autism “Created with guidance from the autistic community, Barbie created a doll to represent some ways Autistic people may experience the world around them.”

link

I love this Barbie!!! This is so cool

I think the best solution to this one barbie not representing all autistic people would be to make an army of different autistic barbies (so that autistic kids can start making their plans to take over the world early), not to change the existing one.

They talked to autistic people and made decisions based on that so I’m good with it. I would have been very angry about that dress as a kid though - but basically all I did with Barbies was put them in amazing outfits.

Hard to get an entire spectrum fit into one doll.

I think it's cool. As someone with sound sensitivity who needs earplugs or headphones most of the time whenever I go out, I think her having headphones is good for representation. As someone who is semiverbal, I also really like how she has a communication device. I've often felt so lonely because of my communication struggles so seeing rep of someone with a communication device makes me really happy. This isn't problematic at all.

I love autistic barbie. Can that be my user flair?

Well, she was made with help and approval from ASAN, so that's something to consider. I'm personally not too bothered by it- the more kids see things like headphones and other assistive tech, the more they'll come to understand it as "normal". Hopefully that'll have some positive effects on how they grow up to treat each other.

I can see where you're coming from, but I'm hopeful about this one.

i'm a 29 year old man so i'm not their target demographic or anything, but i laughed my ass off when i first saw this because i was on my ipad, wearing my big ass headphones

no fidget spinner but eh, close enough

My brain saw that logo and heard

'we are barbie kirk'

The doll is cool, this post sucks.

Barbie has been a princess, an astronaut, a fairy, and President, and literally hundreds of other things. Why shouldn't girls who are autistic (many more of those than princesses or astronauts or presidents) also be represented by Barbie?

I don't see the problem? 

They didn't even make her look autistic.

no visual cues for autistic people? people can tell in just a few seconds with my tics, posture dress style and lack of eye contact, what lmao?

Well i appreciate her having headphones but she should've came with sunglasses.

Or does she somehow not have light sensitivity?

Wait, I thought ALL Barbies are Autistic Barbie?

[removed]

[removed]

I don’t like her clothing at all, that’s the only gripe I have with it. I can’t imagine myself wearing a voily dress with uncovered legs urgh. I’m glad it’s girly though.

They make an autistic Barbie, and she’s one of the few that doesn’t toe walk?

[removed]

[removed]

I love autism barbie, and I LOVE that they collaborated with the autistic self advocacy network. I also think that is good that they are still pushing diversity even though the culture wars have shifted decidedly in favor of the right.

https://preview.redd.it/3wkwyriugzcg1.jpeg?width=1200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7a65cd5a6bc4eab1bbfa52f36dc94baa74e66247

As an autism mommy, I actually love her. My daughter uses an AAC device and stims and is sensitive to noises. I feel like this represents her well. I know it doesn’t represent everyone but it’s a start and inclusion matters.

I think I understand what you mean: I am a high-functioning autistic woman diagnosed as an adult, and I would not have understood that the doll was autistic if there had not been a caption explaining it to me, because she has practically nothing in common with me except her gaze. On the one hand, I understand that it is difficult to distinguish a high-functioning autistic person from a neurotypical person based on external characteristics, which is why they relied on accessories normally associated with low-functioning autistic people: that is understandable.

However, although this is not strictly related to the topic of Barbie dolls, I believe it is a mistake to identify autism only with low-functioning autism, because this risks forgetting that high-functioning people are still autistic: unfortunately, I fear that many of us who are high-functioning have been told to 'stop acting autistic' or 'you don't have a problem, think of those who have real autism' (or even just been diagnosed late). I fear that for women, the problem is even greater.

We often forget that, for high-functioning people, being able to mask ourselves is a bonus because we can appear neurotypical, but it is also a disadvantage because our masking works so well that neurotypicals — even those who know we are autistic — forget that we struggle to maintain that mask and have the same expectations of us as they would of neurotypicals. Obviously, I'm not saying that being high-functioning is better or worse than being low-functioning: we all have our own struggles. That's our problem, but I don't know how a Barbie doll could represent us.

There's only one thing that I feel I need to say to get it out from my system: why does the fidget spinner have FOUR prongs instead of three prongs, which is the standard amount of fidget spinner prongs.

I might actually die. From what depends once I make my investigation

I haven't processed this yet, but my gut reaction was that this made me uncomfortable. But I understand why some people are excited & I don't want to ruin that for them.

That said, I don't seem the harm in asking if anyone else feels weird about this. Afterall, as a community we're not a monolith, so some of us will be thrilled, some uncomfortable, some apathetic, & some will feel aggressively orange about it.

Anyone else make elaborate sets/scenarios for their Barbies & spend hours getting everything 'perfect' & then when you finally do, just- walk away, because setting it all up was the funnest part? Or recreate true crime stories in the Barbie Camper? You could hide so many dead bodies in all the compartments...