Autistic Barbie Doesn’t Represent Me. She Shouldn’t Have to

Earlier this week, Mattel launched the first ever autistic Barbie—or at least the first Barbie to be explicitly identified as such. The newest addition to the Fashionistas collection, a line of Barbies that aims to bring more of the real world’s diversity to children’s play, was designed in conjunction with the Autistic Self Advocacy Network. Everything from her outfit to her accessories to her joints was made with input from real autistic people.

Autistic Barbie doesn’t really represent me as an autistic person.