Mattel’s launch of its first autistic Barbie this week has been met with both celebration and criticism from the autism community. Created in partnership with the Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN), the doll features accessories and design choices meant to reflect common autistic experiences, from stimming to alternative communication tools.

For decades, autism research compared autistic people to animals, denied them moral sensitivity, and assumed autistic traits made them miserable. All wrong.

It’s Barbie ’s world, we just live in it. And that world just keeps getting bigger—this week with Mattel’s announcement of the first-ever autistic Barbie doll, developed with guidance from the nonprofit Autistic Self Advocacy Network ( ASAN ).

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.

Barbie is launching its first autistic doll in an effort to represent how individuals with autism spectrum disorder experience the world around them, USA TODAY can exclusively reveal.

Many autistic people face challenges in their daily life while navigating a world made for neurotypical people.