Meet Julia, she has dazzling, red hair and loves her stuffed toy rabbit. Julia is the newest character on Sesame Street ,and while she has been part of the Sesame Street family in their books, she has just been added to the show.
Adding Julia to the cast is being hailed as a great decision that will spur conversation about autism. It is also helping kids understand and interact with peers with autism. Beyond that, it is inspiring for kids with autism to see a character represent the way they may act or feel.
On Julia’s first episode, they will show what autism can look like. Big Bird thought Julia did not like him because she ignored him. In helping Big Bird understand that it was not that Julia did not like him, but that she has autism, and it sometimes takes her a bit longer to do things.
I think it will be good for kids to see how they may misinterpret actions of their peers with autism and teach them tolerance and acceptance. What do you think?
