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Autistic Barbie

TheCatWoman

They've just launched autistic Barbie, with pink noise cancelling headphones, tablet and clothes that don't irritate the skin and other features.

Do you find it good, bad or indifferent?

I'm not sure what to think, on the one hand anything that makes people feel included and to have toys that "look like them" is a good thing, but on the other it seems a cynical marketing ploy.

Parents

  • I find representation matters. So I immediately bought mine when I saw it. 

    I hated her dress (will probably change) but funnily enough I had one exactly like that as a kid except it was sleeveless.

    I bought it because I like and own barbie dolls and wanted to support Mattel's initiative of doing that.

    For many little girls, wearing the ear defenders is embarrassing and I only got the courage to wear mine last year (I'm 42) and it improved massively my life. I wish I had that doll when I was a child 

  • in reply to Prisilly
    Prisilly said:
    For many little girls, wearing the ear defenders is embarrassing

    This is an angle I hadn't thought of -my girl (8) does have a problem with noise, and I got her some which she'll wear in the house, but not outside it. The playground is a real problem for her, but it's a no go (apparently there are even school ones to borrow). Maybe if wearing them were normalised a bit, then more kids would benefit.

  • in reply to Cinnabar_wing

    I did start wearing massive headphones when I was a teenager (my step dad was a pilot and brought home one of those cockpit pilot headphones and I got obsessed with them) but I people did make fun of me and I eventually stopped wearing them outside.

    I started to work in a busy office last year and couldn't focus at all and I took the courage to buy myself some bose Headphones and I am the only person in the office wearing this huge headphones in the office. It was embarrassing but at least now I can focus on work and my meltdowns reduced massively. 

    I think you should encourage your girl to wear them whenever she needs (shopping centres and restaurants for example is like live changing) 

  • in reply to Prisilly

    Yeah, maybe trying them somewhere like a short shopping trip where there isn't anyone she knows first. She just stands in the corner of the playground currently as the rest is too noisy.

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