Barbie launches first autistic doll. It has sensory-sensitive, stimming features.
- - Barbie launches first autistic doll. It has sensory-sensitive, stimming features.
Melina Khan, USA TODAYJanuary 12, 2026 at 4:00 AM
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Barbie launches first autistic doll. It has sensory-sensitive, stimming features.
Barbie is launching its first autistic doll in an effort to represent how individuals with autism spectrum disorder experience the world around them, USA TODAY can exclusively reveal.
The doll, which is part of Barbie's Fashionistas line, includes intentional design choices like flexible elbow and hand joints for stimming, which refers to repetitive body movement behavior some people with autism engage in to process sensory information.
The Barbie's accessories also reflect those that some autistic people sport, like noise-canceling headphones, loose-fitting clothing and a tablet with Augmentative and Alternative Communication apps.
Mattel said the doll has been in development for more than 18 months in partnership with the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, a nonprofit disability rights organization that aims to empower the autistic community.
The Barbie will be available beginning Jan. 12 at Mattel Shop and Target for a suggested retail price of $11.87. It will later rollout to Walmart stores nationwide in March.
Autism in the spotlight
The new Barbie doll arrives as the autism community has faced extra attention in the national spotlight over controversial assertions from President Donald Trump's administration.
In September 2025, Trump and his top health aides announced that Tylenol use during pregnancy could contribute to the development of autism in children, a position many in the medical community have disagreed with for years.
Health agencies across the world and other medical experts have not found a definitive link between Tylenol and autism, though that hasn't stopped some in the autism community from championing efforts to find a cure or reason why their child is autistic.
Meanwhile, portrayals of people with autism have increased in popular culture thanks to shows like "Love on the Spectrum" and "The Good Doctor." And with the advent of the new Barbie, people with autism will now see themselves reflected in the iconic quintessential children's doll.
"It is so important for young autistic people to see authentic, joyful representations of themselves, and that’s exactly what this doll is," Colin Killick, executive director of ASAN, said in a statement. "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."
See Barbie's new doll with autism
1 / 5Barbie launches first doll with autism. Here's what it looks like.Barbie is launching its first autistic doll, which was developed in partnership with the nonprofit Autistic Self Advocacy Network.
Autism is not a physically visible disorder. But some people with autism may rely on certain items or types of clothing as they move through the world, which Barbie tried to reflect in the doll and its accessories.
The Barbie with autism is designed with an eye gaze shifted slightly to the side, which "aims to reflect how some members of the autistic community may sometimes avoid direct eye contact," Mattel said in a release.
According to a 2022 study in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, researchers have varying theories about why autistic people may avoid eye contact, but many studies point to hyperactivity in a part of the brain known as the amygdala.
Each doll comes with the same accessories: a pink finger clip fidget spinner, pink noise-canceling headphones and a pink tablet.
The tablet shows symbol-based Augmentative and Alternative Communication apps, which help people who have an impairment or limitation in speech, language or reading including those with autism, according to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
The Barbie's outfit is a loose-fitting pinstripe A-line dress and purple Mary Jane-style flat shoes. Mattel said the dress is flowy so as to provide less fabric-to-skin contact, and the shoes promote stability.
Autistic Barbie is latest in inclusive doll line
The autistic Barbie is the latest addition to the Barbie Fashionistas collection, which is aimed at being the most diverse and inclusive line of the doll. Recently, in July 2025, Mattel launched a Barbie with Type 1 diabetes.
As part of the autistic Barbie's launch, Mattel also said it is teaming up with several prominent faces in the autism community: Madison Marilla from Netflix's "Love on the Spectrum," mother-daughter influencers Precious and Mikko Mirage and fashion designer Aarushi Pratap.
In statements, they all said the new autistic Barbie will allow others to feel understood.
“When other families see this Barbie, I hope it helps bridge the gap. I hope they feel included in the conversation and in the spaces where neurotypical individuals already belong. Because we belong here too," Precious Mirage said.
Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Barbie launches first autistic doll. See its unique features.
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