Mattel has launched its first autistic Barbie doll as part of its Fashionistas line, designed with input from the autistic community.

Mattel partnered with the Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) to create a Barbie with autism. The doll comes with features like headphones, a fidget spinner and sensory-sensitive clothing.

The autistic Barbie joins Mattel's Fashionistas doll line. Other dolls in the line represent people with type 1 diabetes, Down syndrome and blindness. As part of the launch, Mattel is donating 1,000 autistic Barbie dolls to pediatric hospitals across the country.

Available starting on January 12, 2026, at Mattel Shop and Target is the first-ever autistic Barbie doll. Mattel’s Global Head of Dolls, Jamie Cygielman, says the doll “helps to expand what inclusion looks like in the toy aisle and beyond because every child deserves to see themselves in Barbie.”

A ROW has blown up over the launch of the first autistic Barbie — complete with noise-cancelling headphones and fidget spinner. The £13.99 doll, designed by people with autism, is part of an