00:00Oh, she's so nice. I feel like I'm actually going to cry.
00:03At 28 years old, Ellie Middleton says this is the first time she's seen a doll that reflects her day-to-day experience as an autistic person.
00:11She's looking off to the side slightly, which is really nice because, yeah, I basically never make eye contact.
00:17Developed with advice from the Autistic Self-Advocacy Network, Autistic Barbie wears noise-canceling headphones to protect her from loud noises,
00:26carries an AAC tablet, which some autistic people use to communicate,
00:30and a pink fidget spinner that provides an outlet for stimming or self-stimulatory behavior.
00:35I think it's so nice to see those parts of, I guess, myself that I'm maybe embarrassed of sometimes or not as proud of as I should be,
00:44but seeing those as part of who she is, I think, was really nice to see.
00:48Introduced in 1959, the first Barbie was an instant hit, but was criticized for her improbable physique.
00:58Over the years, Mattel has made an effort to be more inclusive and have Barbie reflect the experiences of women of different sizes,
01:05ethnicities, and those with disabilities.
01:08Autistic Barbie follows in the footsteps of blind Barbie, Barbie with Down syndrome, and Barbie with type 1 diabetes.
01:15Look what I've got!
01:17Designing Autistic Barbie wasn't easy, given that autism exists on a spectrum and represents a vast range of behaviors and experiences.
01:25This mother says the doll helps normalize something that could otherwise make her daughter feel excluded.
01:31It's huge for children to have a Barbie that represents them.
01:34It helps with inclusion, and it will help with opening conversations also between children, adults, and educators.
01:40Mattel says its hope is that girls with autism can now see in Barbie a bit of themselves.
01:46I do not know.
01:47I do not know.
01:48Mm-hmm.
01:49I do not know.
01:50Mm-hmm.
01:51I do not know.
01:52I do not know.
01:53Mm-hmm.
01:54I do not know.
01:55Mm-hmm.
01:56I do not know.
01:57Mm-hmm.
01:58I do not know.
01:59Mm-hmm.
02:00I do not know.
02:01I do not know.
02:02I do not know.
02:03Mm-hmm.
02:04I do not know.
02:05I do not know.
02:06I do not know.
02:07I do not know.
02:08I do not know.
02:09I do not know.
