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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.

  • I was never a Barbie person, maybe it's a good thing, especially as a show of support when it's going bad in the US at the moment.

    My daughter was given the 'game designer' Barbie when she was small, she hated it like she hates all human dolls (she adores animals, and it was always plush animals that went in the baby carrier she was also given after ejecting the baby). I can see a lot of well meaning aunts/grandparents giving these as presents when the child might prefer something to do with their special interest, not  a doll of how the world see's them. But if a child likes dolls, they might be delighted to have something that sees them better.

    Would be better if the clothes didn't look like a prison uniform though. 

  • TheCatWoman said:
    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.

    I think it’s both things. 

    They could do with launching an extended family of Barbie, Ken and others that would reflect some of the different ways that autism manifests in people. So that would meen having a Barbie who looks exactly like a non-autistic Barbie. 

  • Something which normalises it makes it less of an issue when people grow up.

    Whether it is the best stereotype, I am not sure.