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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
Anna Bawden Health and social affairs correspondent

Mattel launches its first autistic Barbie

A girl alongside the autistic Barbie doll
The doll wears a fidget spinner on her finger to reduce stress and noise-cancelling headphones to reduce sensory overload. Photograph: Paul Michael Hughes

With an animated Barbie film in development, following the success of Greta Gerwig’s 2023 blockbuster movie, Mattel Studios will certainly have a diverse range of characters to bring to life.

On Monday, Mattel launches its first autistic Barbie. Coming barely six months after its first doll with type 1 diabetes, this newest addition to Barbie’s Fashionistas range is designed so that more children “see themselves in Barbie” and to encourage all children to play with dolls that reflect the world around them.

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