Mattel is releasing its first autistic Barbie doll.
Created in partnership with the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, or ASAN, the toy launched Monday is meant to represent children with autism spectrum disorder and how they experience the world.
The doll joins the Barbie Fashionistas line, which features more than 175 looks across various skin tones, body types and disabilities.
Previous additions include Barbie dolls with Type 1 diabetes, Down syndrome and blindness.
The Barbie with autism was in development for more than 18 months. ASAN, the nonprofit disability rights organization run by and for the autistic community, provided guidance as to how the doll can most accurately represent the various experiences people on the autism spectrum may relate to and celebrate the community.
The toy features elbow and wrist articulation, which allows for stimming and other gestures. Her eyes are shifted to the side to avoid eye contact.
She carries a fidget spinner and a tablet. She also wears noise-canceling headphones and a loose-fitting dress that allows for less fabric-to-skin contact.
To celebrate the new doll, Mattel is donating more than 1,000 autistic Barbies to pediatric hospitals across the country that offer specialized services for children on the spectrum. According to the autism nonprofit, Autism Speaks, 1 in 31 children and 1 in 45 adults in the U.S. has autism.
“Barbie has always strived to reflect the world kids see and the possibilities they imagine, and we’re proud to introduce our first autistic Barbie as part of that ongoing work,” said Jamie Cygielman, global head of dolls at Mattel, in a news release.
She added that the doll “helps to expand what inclusion looks like in the toy aisle and beyond because every child deserves to see themselves in Barbie.”
The toymaker’s investments in diversity and representation have proved commercially successful.
The Fashionistas line launched in 2009 and has provided the opportunity to create dolls beyond Barbie’s original look. In 2024, the most popular Fashionistas dolls globally included the blind Barbie and the Barbie with Down syndrome. The wheelchair-using doll has also consistently been a top performer since its debut in 2019.
Founded in 1945, Mattel started out of a Los Angeles garage. Over the last 80 years, the El Segundo-based company has cemented itself as a multibillion-dollar toy company with products and brands including Fisher-Price, Hot Wheels and American Girl.
The new autistic Barbie is available starting Monday through the Mattel Shop and retailers nationwide.
