"Mattel said it developed the autistic doll over more than 18 months in partnership with the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, a nonprofit organization that advocates for the rights and better media representation of people with autism. The goal: to create a Barbie that reflected some of the ways autistic people may experience and process the world around them, according to a Mattel news release."
"That was a challenge because autism encompasses a broad range of behaviors and difficulties that vary widely in degree, and many of the traits associated with the disorder are not immediately visible, according to Noor Pervez, who is the Autistic Self Advocacy Network's community engagement manager and worked closely with Mattel on the Barbie prototype. Like many disabilities, "autism doesn't look any one way," Pervez said. "But we can try and show some of the ways that autism expresses itself.""
Mattel developed an autistic Barbie over more than 18 months in partnership with the Autistic Self Advocacy Network. The doll aims to reflect some ways autistic people may experience and process the world. Autism encompasses a broad range of behaviors and many traits are not immediately visible, creating design challenges. Designers included slightly shifted eyes to represent occasional avoidance of direct eye contact and added articulated elbows and wrists to acknowledge stimming and hand flapping. The team debated clothing fit because sensory preferences vary among autistic people and chose an A-line dress with short sleeves.
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