‘Sesame Street’ Introduces New Character With Autism, Julia

Beloved children’s show Sesame Street has introduced a new character to join its family, Julia, who has the disorder autism.

‘Sesame Street’ Introduces Julia, New Character With Autism

With orange hair and green eyes, the new character is a way of showing children of what autism is and what it can mean for them if they were to come in contact with an autistic child. “Children with autism are five times more likely to get bullied,” Dr. Jeanette Betancourt, senior vice president of U.S. social impact, told People. “And with one in 68 children having autism, that’s a lot of bullying. Our goal is to bring forth what all children share in common, not their differences. Children with autism share in the joy of playing and loving and being friends and being part of a group.”

The website Sesame Street and Autism: See Amazing in All Children was launched yesterday in conjunction with the release of “The Amazing Song” that displays favorites Elmo and Abby partaking in activities with real children with autism.

In a new online storybook, the plotline tells of Elmo going on a playdate with Julia and shows their other friend, Abby, how to communicate with Julia in order to understand what her condition is. “Sesame Workshop is uniquely positioned to play a meaningful role in increasing peoples’ understanding about autism,” Sherrie Westin, executive vice president of global impact and philanthropy at Sesame Workshop, said in a statement. “This project is an extension of the belief we’ve always promoted: ‘We are all different, but all the same.’ I am passionate about this initiative, and am so proud of the partnerships with the autism community that have led to this.”