Inclusion in the toys aisle

Every year, Mattel tries to make Barbie live up to her iconic tagline, “You can be anything.” This year, that effort takes the form of the new Autistic Barbie, developed in collaboration with the Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) and designed by Arushi Pratap, an autistic Indian-American fashion designer.

The doll is the latest addition to the Barbie Fashionistas line. She wears pink noise-cancelling headphones to help with sensory overload and carries a fidget toy to ease stress and improve focus. She also comes with a pink tablet featuring Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) apps to support daily communication. Her outfit is a relaxed, loose-fitting purple dress with short sleeves and flat shoes designed for comfort and stability.

There are other subtler changes too. Unlike Barbie’s iconic lifted heels, this doll also has flat soles. She gazes slightly sideways to represent potential eye contact difficulties that some autistic people experience. Her elbows and wrists are moveable to help her with stimming and other hand movements that are common among some members of the autistic community. 

Efforts to make toys more representative are not new. In the past, such efforts were often improper and ignorant. Mattel itself has produced a few of these, such as Share a Smile Becky, the Down syndrome doll, and “Coloured” Franice and Oreo Barbie.

Barbie, in her classic form, is far from representative. Studies have consistently found that girls between five and eight years old exposed to Barbie had lower body esteem and a desire for thinness. Mattel’s release of their Barbie Fashionistas! Doll collection did not change things. The new Barbie came in various “body types, skin colours, and hair textures” and included a wheelchair-using doll and another with skin conditions. However, even these versions remained far from average. The “curvy” Barbie’s measurements still reflected a narrow beauty ideal. Barbie has never been an accurate reflection of the average American woman—and she certainly is not representative of the average Indian woman either. 

Keeping in mind how this doll itself is a flawed impression of feminism, the autistic Barbie marks a positive step forward. Some argue that the doll feels like a collection of different traits from across the autism spectrum. But that may be precisely what makes it representative and inclusive. The headphones might resonate with those who have sensory difficulties, while the AAC tablet might be relatable to others. Since most of her accessories can be mixed and matched, Astronaut Barbie could have a fidget toy, and the Pop Star Barbie could perform with her pink headphones. This is important, as disabled individuals are usually characterised by their disability rather than their interests and aspirations.

This is not the first time autism or disability has been represented in toys. Adapted dolls with hearing aids or prosthetic limbs and inclusive figures from brands like LEGO have appeared in recent times. Research suggests higher self-esteem and confidence among disabled and special needs children who play with more representative toys. This representation also shapes how other children respond to disabilities. Studies show that when children are not exposed positively to disabilities and special needs in their social environment, they are more likely to react with pity, exclusion and/or dismissal. 

Much depends on parents and immediate social environment. Their attitudes strongly influence how children view and interact with individuals with special needs and/or disabilities. Parents of children with disabilities often express a clear need for more representative toys. Among parents of children without disabilities, openness towards disabilities shapes whether their children play with such toys.

Affordability and access remain real barriers. The Autistic Barbie is priced at around Rs 800 on e-commerce platforms — unaffordable for many Indian families. Other adapted toys are not easily available in India unless a huge shipping fee is paid. While “sensory and calming” toys are increasingly marketed, adapted toys such as dolls with hearing aids and transformers with missing limbs are still rare in the Indian toy stores.

This is only possible when social perceptions of special needs and disabilities are more positive, and this change can only happen when there are more conversations about inclusivity. Only then can the promise behind Barbie’s tagline—that “you can be anything”—begin to ring true for everyone. 

Amirthaa is a third-year undergraduate psychology student, and Ketoki is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology at FLAME University, Pune

(Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH.)