Autistic Barbie doll is released by Mattel, featuring gaze avoiding eye contact, fidget spinner and noise-cancelling headphones

The first ever autistic Barbie doll has been released – featuring a fidget spinner, noise-cancelling headphones and a shifted eye gaze.

Toymakers Mattel say the classic doll has been redesigned ‘with guidance from the community’ in a bid to ‘change the narrative on neurodivergence’.

It follows the company’s gradual branching out from its classic blonde Barbie to models with type 1 diabetes, Down syndrome and blindness.

The new doll has been developed in partnership with the Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) and aims to represent some of the ways autistic people may experience, process, and communicate about the world around them.

Along with a new face sculpt its features include elbow and wrist articulation to enable stimming, hand flapping, and other hand gestures that some members of the autistic community may use to ‘process sensory information or express excitement’.

The doll is also designed with an eye gaze shifted slightly to the side to reflect how some autistic people may avoid direct eye contact.

As well as coming with noise-cancelling headphones and a tablet, the doll holds a pink finger clip fidget spinner that actually spins – offering a ‘sensory outlet that can help reduce stress and improve focus’.

The pink headphones are described as a helpful fashion accessory that reduces ‘sensory overload’ by blocking out background noise.

The pink tablet shows symbol-based AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) on its screen, serving as a tool to help with everyday interactions.

The doll is also said to wear a loose-fitting, pinstripe A-line dress with short sleeves and a flowy skirt that provides less fabric-to-skin contact.

Purple shoes complete the outfit, with flat soles to promote stability and ease of movement.

As part of the doll launch, Mattel said Barbie had teamed up with advocates for the autistic community, including Ellie Middleton – an autistic and ADHD author and creator who was diagnosed with both conditions aged 24.

Ms Middleton, who founded Unmasked and has an audience of over 300,000 people online, said: ‘To now have an autistic Barbie doll makes me so emotional. 

‘Statistics show that young girls are often undiagnosed or misdiagnosed, so to have a powerful symbol like this autistic Barbie doll helps bring the conversation around neurodivergence in women to the forefront, so that autistic girls can feel accepted and seen.’

Colin Killick, Executive Director of ASAN, added: ‘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. 

‘Partnering with Barbie allowed us to share insights and guidance throughout the design process to ensure the doll fully represents and celebrates the autistic community, including the tools that help us be independent. 

‘We’re honored to see this milestone come to life, and we will keep pushing for more representation like this that supports our community in dreaming big and living proud.’

The autistic Barbie doll is now available from retailers at an RRP of £13.99.

Peter Watt, Managing Director of National Programmes at the National Autistic Society, said: ‘Seeing more depictions of autism is key to understanding and autism acceptance. 

‘It’s really important that these representations are authentic and based on extensive consultation with autistic people, and we’re pleased Mattel involved the autistic community in the development of this doll.

‘Autism is a spectrum condition, and each autistic person has a unique combination of characteristics. 

‘It’s important to remember autistic people can be very different to each other, with different sets of strengths and challenges. 

‘It is positive to see authentic autistic representation on TV and films, the arts and in play, as better public understanding of autism across society could transform hundreds of thousands of autistic people’s lives.’