The mother of an autistic teenager who found it almost impossible to endure a haircut has praised a hairdresser for his "incredible" effort to build his trust. Joanne Bourne said getting her 13-year-old son Harry's hair cut would quickly make him feel "overwhelmed" and had always been a "huge, huge problem" ever since his diagnosis 10 years ago.

The doll joins the Barbie Fashionistas collection, which features diverse range of skin tones, hair textures, body types, and various medical conditions and disabilities such as type 1 diabetes, Down syndrome and blindness.

A 52-year-old autistic woman said she "finally feels like she is represented" by a Barbie doll launched on Monday. Lisa Ventura, from Worcester, was diagnosed as autistic when she was 44 after being prompted by her GP to take part in a local study.

Mattel has introduced autistic Barbie, another first for the company that aims to expand representation for children with different abilities.

A new Barbie doll is making headlines for inclusiveness, and two women from the Tampa Bay area are helping lead the conversation.

Autistic Barbie has sparked both joy and unease among autistic adults as Mattel’s new doll lands in stores and online, marking a moment of representation many say they needed as children, and a move others fear risks cementing stereotypes the community has fought to dismantle.

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.