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Crown Point woman Karlee Lowe sees herself reflected in Mattel’s new autistic Barbie, designed with sensory-friendly features and autism community input.
SAN DIEGO — When 28-year-old Karlee Lowe first saw Mattel’s new autistic Barbie, her reaction was immediate.
“Oh my gosh,” she said, reaching for the fidget spinner attached to the doll’s hand. “It spins? Wow.”
With each touch and gaze, Lowe saw herself reflected in the doll she would later name Elizabeth, from the noise-canceling headphones to the averted eye contact.
“I love the headphones,” Lowe said. “Because for me, sometimes sound can be too loud, and when I put headphones on, it helps me.”
The toy giant unveiled its first autistic Barbie as part of its Fashionista line, working with the Autism Self-Advocacy Network to design features meant to reflect some experiences on the spectrum. The doll includes noise-canceling headphones for sensory overload, a fidget spinner for stimming, and an augmentative and alternative communication tablet for non-verbal communication.
Barbie’s eyes gaze to the side, avoiding direct eye contact, a detail Lowe immediately recognized.
“Sometimes I do not like looking at people,” she said.
The AAC tablet resonated with Lowe’s understanding of autism’s diversity.
“There’s different levels of the spectrum, and some people cannot talk, so they use devices like this one,” she said.
Jennifer Cook, a neurodivergent expert for the Emmy-winning Netflix show “Love on the Spectrum” who is on the spectrum herself, admitted her first reaction was skeptical.
“When I first heard, ‘Okay, there’s an autistic Barbie,’ I will absolutely admit my first reaction was, ‘Well, how are they going to do that?’ Because there is no look to it,” Cook said.
But after learning about Mattel’s research and design choices, Cook praised the doll’s approach to representation.
“It’s okay that she can’t possibly look like every person who is autistic, because that’s not a thing, but each child gets to decide what that’s going to be,” she said.
Cook emphasized the doll isn’t just for autistic children.
“I made a conscious effort when my daughter was little to give her dolls and toys that looked nothing like her, because I wanted her to have a reflection of the world around her,” she said.
The doll was created with input from Ella Middleton, an autistic author and creator who was diagnosed with both autism and ADHD at age 24. The design includes articulated hands and wrists to accommodate repetitive movements, known as stimming, and loose-fitting clothing since some people with autism prefer less contact with fabric.
For Lowe, the doll represents something deeper than play.
“It really means a lot to me personally to have a Barbie doll that’s just like me,” she said.
“She’s an A-plus. She passed,” Lowe said.
Lowe said she loves how Barbie will show the world that everyone is different and full of inclusion, and that anyone can play with her.
The doll retails between $10.99-$11.87 and is available at Mattel, Target, Walmart, Amazon and other major retailers.
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