There's a new neighbor on Sesame Street, and you might notice that she's a little different from your average muppet.
That's right, Julia will be Sesame Street's first autistic character. Her personality is brought to life by Stacey Gordon, who has a son with autism.
In an interview with 60 Minutes, she says “Had my son’s friends been exposed to his behaviors through something that they had seen on TV before they experienced them in the classroom, they might not have been frightened."
The hope is that the new character will show kids that, even though kids with autism may act a little differently, it's still okay to be friends with them and there's nothing to be afraid of.
Like many kids with autism, Julia is sensitive to loud noises, a little hesitant to meet new people, and her demeanor is intentionally intense but friendly.
WTG Sesame Street for teaching kids how to be inclusive of everyone!