‘I could see it as a teaching tool’: Local experts praise new autistic Barbie Doll

Suburban doctors and therapists are praising one of the latest Barbie creations from Mattel for casting a spotlight on an often marginalized community.

“Oftentimes, especially young ladies who are on the autism spectrum, are kind of underrepresented, given that this particular diagnosis is largely associated with being male,” said Dr. Shubhrajan Wadyal, medical director of inpatient adolescent psychiatry and autism services at Ascension Alexian Brothers Behavioral Health Hospital in Hoffman Estates.

According to the Drake Institute of Behavioral Medicine, boys are diagnosed nearly three to four times as often as girls and may experience more severe symptoms. Girls are also often diagnosed later, which leads to the possibility of a diagnosis being entirely overlooked.

Mattel recently unveiled its first Barbie Doll with autism, which is a part of the company’s Fashionista line aiming to create inclusive and diverse dolls to express personality through fashion, according to Mattel’s website.

The doll, which was made in partnership with the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, includes accessories and fashion styles that shine a light on the lives of those who live on the spectrum.

Decorated in a lavender dress with white pinstripes, she wears her hair long with a pair of noise-canceling headphones, has a fidget spinner and holds an Augmentative and Alternative Communication tablet, a type of device used for those who have “severe speech or language problems” to communicate, according to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

The doll itself even has flexible joints at the elbows and wrists which allow kids to play out “stimming” movements, a type of behavior associated with those on the autism spectrum and categorized by repetitive movements and vocalizations, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

Wadyal said the new Barbie is “near and dear” to his heart and praised it for addressing sensory challenges that those who live on the spectrum deal with.

“Barbie is an American icon,” he said. “It’s something that most kids are exposed to and (it allows) them to see this product as just another person who is a member of our community. I could see it as a teaching tool.”

Despite the many unknowns about autism and its varied presentations, Wadyal said Mattel is appropriately bringing attention to this population through such a “wide-reaching” toy such as Barbie.

Netali Chopra, CEO and executive director of Bridgeview Clinical Services in Naperville, said the new Barbie is “honoring the differences that exist within all of us” and the doll recognizes those living on the autism spectrum in a respectful way.

Chopra said through the doll, more conversations can be created about self acceptance and self expression. Accepting uniqueness and different personality traits has a lot of value, she added.

“I’m really loving the way that Barbie is continuing to evolve,” she said. “We’re shifting from this old paradigm that we have to be perfect, and she’s much more inclusive.”