'Sesame Street' Introduces First Autistic Muppet
"Sesame Street" is continuing its tradition of addressing important issues on the show, this time by introducing the first autistic muppet, Julia.
Her arrival is part of "Sesame Street and Autism: See Amazing in All Children," an initiative to teach children about autism and prevent autistic children from being harassed in school.
"Children with autism are five times more likely to get bullied," senior vice president of U.S. social impact, Dr. Jeanette Betancourt, 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."
Julia will pal around with Grover, Abby, and Elmo. Sesame Street hasn't set a date for when she'll appear on the show, but she's already made her debut in the online storybook "We're Amazing, 1, 2, 3!"
"We are trying to spread the story about the theory behind this whole thing – love and acceptance," says Dr. Betancourt. "Everyone is touched by autism, and by creating Julia, Sesame is bringing children together."
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