This month, I heard about the new Barbie who was introduced, and she has autism.<\/p>\n
At first, and for many, this new doll seemed to be an amazing idea. After all, she potentially can open discussions with neurotypical children about their neurodivergent peers that may act a bit differently than they do. That\u2019s positive, right? So, if that\u2019s the case, why did this doll evoke such a deep feeling inside of me, not one of elation, but rather one of disappointment and frustration?<\/p>\n
I understand the excitement over a doll that looks like a child, and so many Barbies have helped open the door to different conversations. For example, my husband is a type one diabetic, and when we experienced a Barbie with a glucose monitor and a pump, sure, I thought it was very cool. If my daughters were of Barbie-playing age, I probably would have purchased this for them so they could better understand their dad and his condition. It was also a good way to normalize the disease and teach children about treating an illness.<\/p>\n
I would be remiss not to mention that this topic has come up before, and I didn\u2019t speak up about it. A few years ago, Mattel introduced a Barbie with Down Syndrome in collaboration<\/a> with the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS). At first blush, I liked this idea a lot. Personally, working with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I\/DD), so many of my clients felt included by seeing and playing with a doll that \u201clooked like them.\u201d But as time went by, I started examining the doll a bit more closely, and I was a tad disappointed. To me, this looked like a larger Barbie with slanted eyes (they\u2019re described as \u201calmond\u201d). However, the disability world was lighting up with excitement, so I chose to focus on the positive: the idea that the people I cared about felt seen, and that inclusivity seemed to be becoming a priority.<\/p>\n All of these dolls mentioned are part of the brand\u2019s \u201cFashionistas\u201d line, which works to go beyond a \u201cone-size-fits-all\u201d approach. This is an aspect I fully support. But now, we have a Barbie with autism. You might be wondering: what makes Barbie autistic<\/a>? Well, she has eyes that look slightly off-center because children with autism often don\u2019t make eye contact. Um, OK. She also has joints in the wrist and elbows that bend because people with autism stim<\/a> by hand flapping. Hmm, well, not everyone, but OK. Also, this Barbie comes with headphones so she can filter out noise. She also has a communication device. Alright, here is where I call it a day. I have to say something!<\/p>\n