‘Seeing her feels like being seen’: New Barbie with autism applauded by neurodivergent B.C. mom

Your Morning Vancouver talks to The Neurodiversity Mom Katherine L’Etang about MATTEL’s release of the autistic Barbie doll.

Mattel’s first-ever autistic Barbie is getting mixed reactions online, with some pointing out that autism is a spectrum, and cannot be fully represented in one doll.

But others are applauding the move, including Nanaimo, B.C., mom Katherine L’Etang, who is known on social media as “The Neurodiversity Mom.”

In an interview on Your Morning Vancouver Thursday, L’Etang said she was excited to see Mattel release the new Barbie.

“It truly means the world, not just as an autistic adult, but also as a mom to an autistic child,” she said.

Not having been diagnosed herself until she was 32, L’Etang said it’s especially important seeing autism being represented in females.

“Girls have often statistically been under-diagnosed,” she said. “So, seeing her feels like being seen.”

Mattel says the Barbie was made in partnership with the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, and was designed to reflect experiences those on the spectrum can relate to.

“Barbie has always strived to reflect the world kids see and the possibilities they imagine, and we’re proud to introduce our first autistic Barbie as part of that ongoing work,” said Jamie Cygielman of Mattel in a news release earlier this week.

“(The doll) helps to expand what inclusion looks like in the toy aisle and beyond, because every child deserves to see themselves in Barbie,” Cygielman added.

According to Mattel, the autistic Barbie features elbow and wrist articulation, which enables “stimming, hand flapping, and other hand gestures that some members of the autistic community use to process sensory information or express excitement.”

The Barbie’s eye gaze is shifted slightly to the side, which Mattel says represents how some people with autism may avoid direct eye contact.

Each doll also comes with a pink fidget spinner, noise-cancelling headphones, and a tablet.

“Everyone experiences autism differently, but she has headphones because a lot of autistic people may be sensitive to sound,” said L’Etang. “(The) fidget spinner actually works, which I thought was amazing. She also has an AAC device, which some autistic people use in communication, if they struggle with verbal speech.”

Unlike most other Barbie dolls, this one has flat feet, which Mattel says is to “promote stability and ease of movement.”

“We may be more sensitive to shoes and wearing heels,” said L’Etang. “(She’s wearing) a loose-fitting dress, in case she was sensitive to fabric.”

L’Etang added that these are just a few of many things that might help people with autism feel more included.

“Barbie is one of my daughter’s favourite toys, so for her to now have an autistic Barbie specifically…even just the name alone is powerful,” said L’Etang.

L’Etang said the doll isn’t just for people with autism, and that it’s helping open up more dialogue on the disorder.

“As much as it’s great for us to feel seen, it’s also about us being included and really just normalizing many of these accommodations that kids, I’m sure see at school, and maybe have questions about,” she added.

“We’ve always been here. It’s really now about having that conversation and being like, yeah this is what it looks like, and it’s just about acceptance and inclusion at the end of the day.”