The Barbie doll features aspects meant to represent traits of some individuals with autism, according to Mattel. This includes an eye gaze shifted slightly to the side to avoid eye contact; elbow and wrist articulation for stimming, hand flapping and other hand gestures for expressing excitement or processing sensory information.

In light of Mattel releasing the first official Autistic Barbie, let's look at how Barbie has exhibited autistic traits since she was first released.

Barely six months after releasing its Barbie with Type 1 diabetes, Mattel introduced its first Barbie with autism. The doll was made in partnership with the Autistic Self Advocacy Network and is available nationwide today.

The first Barbie doll hit shelves in 1959. Barbies have offered broader representations of race, body type, and careers over the years.

The new doll carries a pink fidget spinner that actually spins, wears pink noise-cancelling headphones to reduce sensory overload and holds a pink tablet that represents her augmentative and alternative communication,

That’s the idea behind a new Barbie released this week, designed to reflect the experiences of people with autism. The doll, introduced Monday by Mattel, is the first Barbie created to represent autism.