Sesame Street Unveils Character with Autism

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8 years ago

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Source: Sesame Street
Sesame Street has unveiled their first new character in a decade.
Julia, a puppet who has red hair and carries around a favorite bunny, is a 4-year-old with Autism. Julia is voiced by puppeteer, Stacey Gordon, who herself has a son with autism.
In an interview with Sixty Minutes Stacey reveals she wishes Julia had been around when her son was Sesame Street’s age, saying, “Had my son’s friends been exposed to his behaviors through something they had seen on TV before they experienced them in the classroom, they might not have been frightened. And would have known that he plays in a different way, and that that’s okay.”
In the first episode introducing Julia to Sesame Street children will see Julia grapple with doing things a little differently from the other puppets. When she first meets Big Bird, Julia is hesitant to shake his hand. Big Bird is sad, thinking Julia doesn’t like him. But Elmo explains to Big Bird that Julia has Autism and “does things a little differently.”
Sesame Street will also show Julia’s aversion to loud noises and her excitability during a game.
Julia has been featured in Sesame Street’s books and digital offerings for the past year, however Sherrie Westin, executive VP at Sesame Workshop, saw how quickly Julia’s character struck a chord with viewers dealing with Autism in their family. “We realized if we brought her to life appearing in Sesame Street on air as well, she would have even more impact and be able to reach even more children,” Westin told NPR.
Julia will make her on-air debut on Sesame Street April 10. She is set to appear in two episodes in this current season and more next season.

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