Neurodivergent Diversions: Can One Barbie Represent a Spectrum?
by James Coulter
Barbie has been everything from a doctor to an astronaut. She’s been many shades and skin colors. She’s even been in a wheelchair. Now, her newest doll has Barbie being something completely different: a person with Autism.
A Barbie with Autism
Earlier this month, Mattel unveiled its first Barbie doll with Autism. The doll includes many features and accessories that reflect traits commonly associated with people with Autism:
• Posable Elbows and Wrists: The doll’s flexible joints allow her to mimic common stimming movements, such as hand flapping, which many people with Autism use to self-regulate their emotions or manage their sensory input.
• Sideward Eye Gaze: Her eyes are slightly averted to reflect how some people with Autism avoid direct eye contact.
• Headphones: The doll wears noise-canceling headphones that many people with Autism wear to reduce sensory overload and stay focused.
• Fidget Spinner: The doll uses a fidget spinner, a type of stim toy used by many people with Autism to help manage stress and support concentration.
• Tablet: The doll uses a tablet featuring an Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) app, similar to devices some people with Autism use to communicate through symbols.
• Sensory Sensitive Fashion: She wears a loose, soft A-line dress designed to minimize fabric-to-skin contact, reflecting common sensory preferences.
Mixed Reactions from Autism Community
Mattel created the new doll through a close 18-month collaboration with the Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN), a non-profit disability rights organization run by and for people with Autism that advocates for the rights of the autistic community.
“As proud members of the autistic community, our ASAN team was thrilled to help create the first-ever autistic Barbie doll. It is so important for young autistic people to see authentic, joyful representations of themselves, and that’s exactly what this doll is,” said Colin Killick, ASAN Executive Director.
However, while the new doll received praise from some people with Autism, as Daily Dot reported, other individuals on social media were less than enthused, claiming the dolls could perpetuate negative stereotypes.
“On one hand, I’m so happy this is being released. On the otherhand, I fear it’s going to reinforce stereotypes of what we look like and how we act, as well as reinforce beauty stereotypes vs. who gets support,” wrote Kit Author on Blueksy.
“As someone with Autism, I find it offensive that a complex and challenging condition is reduced to a handful of plastic accessories and some flexi joints. What next? Autistic Ken with nerdy glasses and a trainspotter log book?” wrote Steve Bower on Bluesky.
One Spectrum, Many Experiences
Toys and other media that aim to represent diverse identities, especially within marginalized communities, rarely pleaseeveryone. Even people with shared life experiences can have very different lives and perspectives within those experiences.
This is especially true for Autism, which is described as a spectrum disorder: a wide range of traits and symptoms all rooted in the same underlying condition but with varying severity and presentation. In other words, people with Autism often experience it differently. Some people experience some symptoms more severely. Others experience other symptoms less severely.
Everyone experiences Autism differently because everyone is different. There is no single “autistic experience.” That’s why representing people with Autism in media, or in toys like Barbie, can be challenging: a character or doll might reflect one person’s lived experience but not another’s.
For example, as someone with Autism, I can relate to this Barbie doll’s difficulty with eye contact and her use of stimming to manage emotions. But while I use regular headphones to tune out the world, I’ve never used noise‑canceling ones. And I’ve never needed an app to help me communicate.
Throughout her 60‑plus years, Barbie has reflected many different kinds of people. Part of that diversity includes the many ways individuals experience their identities. A doll that resonates deeply with one person may not reflect another—and that’s okay! Because we’re all different.
