Toy company Mattel launch the first autistic Barbie doll with input from the Autistic Self Advocacy Network.The doll features specific design choices intended to reflect some experiences to which autistic people might relate.These include loose clothing to ensure less fabric-to-skin contact and an eye gaze slightly to the side, to represent the way some autistic people might avoid direct eye contact.Each doll also comes with a pink fidget spinner to reduce stress and improve focus, and noise-cancelling headphones to block out background sounds and therefore limit sensory overload.
