When Mikko, a five-year-old girl, caught a glimpse of her Barbie doll, her eyes sparkled with delight. What caught her attention? Her beloved toy held a fidget spinner and wore oversized headphones, just like her! The moment was "almost magical," according to Mikko's mother, Precious Hill, who resides in Las Vegas.
The new Barbie doll, launched on Monday, is the first of its kind to feature autism. She carries a pink fidget spinner that actually spins, wears pink noise-canceling headphones to reduce sensory overload, and holds a pink tablet that represents her augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device.
Hill explains that Mikko, who is nonverbal, also uses an AAC device to communicate. "Autism is such an invisible disability at times," Hill said. "To see it represented through Barbie – a character that everyone knows – felt really good. It's crucial to me that Mikko feels represented in life. It matters to me that she's not alone."
The Barbie doll has a gaze that shifts slightly to the side, mirroring how some individuals with autism avoid direct eye contact. Her fashionable purple pinstripe dress is purposely flowy, loose-fitting, and short-sleeved, a nod to how some people with autism prefer to keep fabric from touching their skin as much as possible.
As Mattel prepared for the doll's launch, the company sent the new Barbie to Hill. She too has autism, and she says the doll makes her "feel seen." She also has two other children, 11-year-old twins Matthew and Ma'Kenzie. While Ma'Kenzie has not been diagnosed with autism, Matthew is autistic – and he too was happy to see the doll.
"Other families that are going through this, or that also have autism or loved ones that are on the spectrum, I hope that they feel seen too," Hill said.
The new doll is part of Mattel's Fashionistas collection, which includes dolls with a diverse range of skin tones, hair textures, body types, and health conditions, including type 1 diabetes, Down syndrome, and blindness. Mattel worked with the nonprofit Autistic Self Advocacy Network to design the doll, which aims to represent the roughly 1 in 31 children who are diagnosed with autism by age 8 in the United States.
"It is so important for young autistic people to see authentic, joyful representations of themselves," said Colin Killick, executive director of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network. "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."
Autism spectrum disorder is a range of neurodevelopmental differences that affect how people communicate, interact, and experience the world around them. It typically begins before the age of 3 and continues throughout a person's life. Although there is no cure for autism, early support and therapies can make a meaningful difference. Research suggests that autism is more than three times more common among boys than girls, but many experts believe it is frequently overlooked or misdiagnosed in girls. In some cases, girls with autism are not diagnosed until much later in life – not until they become mothers. Hill was one of them.
A doll not just for kids: "I didn't know that I was autistic growing up," said Hill, 32. It was only through her daughter's diagnosis at age 2 that Hill discovered her own diagnosis. "When I first learned about Mikko being autistic," she said, "I spoke with my aunt – my aunt who primarily raised me – and she noticed it first." She said, "I didn't want to offend you. I didn't know how you would take the news." But as Hill began researching autism to support her daughter, she realized many of the signs, symptoms, and experiences paralleled her own life. She then met with a health professional and was diagnosed at age 29.
Eileen Lamb of Austin, Texas, also was not diagnosed until she was a mother in her 20s. "I can totally relate to being diagnosed later in life as a female with autism," said Lamb, senior director of social media and marketing at Autism Speaks. Two of Lamb's three children have autism. "My 12-year-old was diagnosed at age 2, and I was diagnosed like a year later… I got my diagnosis just after my son," she said. "Autism can look different in girls, and the fact that Barbie is a girl is powerful in some way." Lamb applauded the introduction of the new Barbie doll for highlighting some of the tools that help people with autism – such as the fidget spinner and AAC device – but she emphasized that autism is a broad spectrum, and many people may have different needs. "I don’t think it’s possible to represent the entire spectrum in one doll," Lamb said. "Toys matter. Representation matters, and it’s really good for children to see themselves in a toy," she said. "It sends a message that being different is nothing to be ashamed of."
