Sesame Street's new character with autism, a girl named Julia, stars in a new video released today. See the clip below.
"It's important for kids without autism to see what autism can look like," Julia's puppeteer, Stacey Gordon, who has a son with autism, said during a recent interview on "60 Minutes."
The new clip begins with Elmo and Abby Cadabby finger-painting as Julia uses a brush. She does not like the way paint feels on her hands. When Big Bird comes by to say hello, Julia is unresponsive at first. Later, when an emergency vehicle passes by, she has a bad reaction to the loud sirens.
The piece explains in straightforward, kid-appropriate terms how Julia prefers to do things in her own way and sometimes reacts differently. As Big Bird gets to know Julia the friends all adapt their game in a way Julia suggests.
"That's a thing that can be typical of some kids with autism," writer Christine Ferraro said during the "60 Minutes" piece. "It was a very easy way to show that with a very slight accommodation, they can meet her where she is."
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Here's the clip:
