Bradford SEND Co-ordinator thinks new Barbie doll could help children talk about Autism
The UK's First Autistic Barbie Doll has been released today
Barbie are continuing to grow representation as they launch the UK's First Autistic Barbie Doll.
The new doll has been made in partnership with the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, a non-profit disability rights US organisation run by and for autistic people that advocates to empower the autistic community.
Barbie have also teamed up with autistic individuals in the UK including author and founder of ‘Unmasked’ Ellie Middleton and 5-year-old Penelope to share their stories and experiences.
The Barbie features a new face sculpt, which allows elbow and wrist articulation, enabling stimming, hand flapping, and other hand gestures that some members of the autistic community use to process sensory information or express excitement.
It's also been designed with an eye gaze shifted slightly to the side, a fidget spinner, noise cancelling headphones a tablet and a sensory sensitive outfit.
Bradford SEND co-ordinator Tina Witcomb said:
"Even though autism is becoming more and more understood and accepted it will help explaining it to other children if they can see representation of autism through everyday interactions and play it will be easier for them to maybe understand the children the they are playing with who have autism and are maybe a bit different."
"It's tricky because you can't capture the full spectrum in one doll and some children might say this child doesn't look like that, They're not holding a iPad, they're not fidgeting, they don't have noise cancelling headphones, explaining to them they might still have autism and just not look like that."
Consistent with the Fashionistas dolls representing individuals with type 1 diabetes, Down syndrome and blindness, the autistic Barbie doll was named and created with the community’s guidance to allow more children to see themselves in Barbie.
Ellie Middleton 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.”
The Autistic Barbie Doll is available from today (12/1)