Sesame Street Raises Awareness with New Muppet
posted by Nicole Hodges | April 6, 2017 | In Arts and CultureBeloved television show Sesame Street, which has been on air for the past 48 years, introduces a new character to its audience in April.
Julia is a muppet with autism spectrum disorder. She will make her debut on television on April 10.
The character was created to raise awareness for the disorder and put a certain focus on special needs children. “We felt that creating a character who was autistic would allow children to identify her but equally important, it would allow us to model for all children the differences and commonalities of a child with autism,” Sherri Westin, executive vice president for global impact and philanthropy at Sesame Workshop, told The Guardian.
Julia’s character took more than five years to create, and it is a part of a significant Sesame Street Autism initiative.
Julia does not interact with the other characters the same way they do with each other. For instance, one clip of the debut episode showed Julia panicking when a siren alarmed. However, the show has a priority of promoting awareness and equality, especially for those with autism spectrum disorder.
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