New Delhi, April 18 -- It's a child's play," might be the old adage but when children play, it is anything but trivial. They are not just passing time but also learning about the world and where they belong in it. This is why a toy's design matters far more than we realise.

This January, leading toy company Mattel, creator of Hot Wheels and UNO, launched its first autistic Barbie doll in India. It's the latest addition to an inclusive line that already features Barbie dolls with Down syndrome, type 1 diabetes, visual impairment, and diverse skin tones and body types. Created over 18 months in collaboration with the US-based Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN), the doll is dressed in a mauve striped dress, and comes with sensory-conside...