Barbie is Delivering Much-Needed Autism Representation to Young Girls

Representation matters — especially for kids.

Take it from someone who never saw myself represented in the pop culture that reigned when I was growing up: Kids who don’t see themselves reflected anywhere can easily start to feel like they don’t belong, or even that they are unworthy.

That’s why I’m cheering over the news that Barbie has partnered with ASAN (Autistic Self-Advocacy Network) to create a Barbie doll with autism. 

Now, I know what you’re thinking. Autism is a complex, often invisible condition. How can that be represented with a doll? 

According to a post announcing this release, the Barbie has elements that represent some things people with autism may relate to: She wears noise-cancelling headphones, which some people with autism rely on to reduce sensory overload, and carries a fidget spinner, which may be a familiar sensory outlet for people with autism.

The Barbie also has a shifted gaze (as people with autism may struggle to make direct eye contact), wears a dress that represents sensory-sensitive clothing, and carries a Augmentative and Alternative Communication tablet, which some people use as a communication tool.

This is especially beneficial because so often in our cultural depictions of autism, we see boys — and that isn’t just a representation thing; it goes deeper.

The condition tends to present differently in girls. According to the Child Mind Institute, more boys are diagnosed with autism than girls, but not necessarily because there are boys with the condition. Girls tend to be better at masking signs of autism, and they’re also more likely to have their symptoms dismissed by doctors. Isn’t it funny how the health care and behavioral gender gaps begin in childhood?

But with this Barbie, maybe we are making strides towards better understanding how the condition presents in girls and women — and giving young girls a tangible piece of representation to help them feel less isolated.