01/13/2026
So many of you tagged me in a post this morning, asking if I’d seen the new Barbie doll (which is not a sentence I’d ever expect to write.) l But as soon as I saw it, I knew why. And I couldn’t have been more delighted.
The text read, “Barbie and ASAN (The Autistic Self Advocacy Network) are proud to partner on the first-ever autistic Barbie, designed with connection and understanding at the core.“
When I showed the doll to my daughter, Brooke, who is autistic, she took in the long, dark hair, hanging loose, like her own. I pointed out the beautiful, golden brown eyes just like hers, their gaze set ever so slightly to the side. I showed her the a-line purple dress that looks as though it came straight from her closet. And the flats, because just like her, autistic Barbie isn’t comfortable in heels.
And of course the pink, noise canceling headphones exactly like the ones she wears when the world overwhelms.
I asked if she might like to get one of the dolls. She’s 22 and not a big Barbie gal, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. But her answer said it all…
“I will call her Brooke.”
Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, to the folks at Mattel and ASAN for enabling my daughter to see herself in a doll, and for helping children and adults everywhere to celebrate the glorious diversity of the human condition.
{image is a side by side of two photos: one of Barbie and one of Brooke, looking strikingly similar.}
