Sesame Workshop introduces Julia’s family to Sesame Street to kick off Autism Awareness Month.
Julia, the 4-year-old Sesame Street Muppet with autism, made her debut in 2015 as part of Sesame Workshop’s Sesame Street and Autism: See Amazing in All Children initiative. New videos and educational materials — freely available in English and Spanish — introduce Julia’s parents, big brother, and companion dog, who first appeared in last year’s Family Forever storybook. Autism affects 1 in 59 children today.
On April 8, both HBO and PBS KIDS will premiere an all-new Julia-focused Sesame Street episode in which Elmo, Abby Cadabby, and Alan help Julia feel less scared about getting a haircut by playing “hair salon” and pretending to be hair stylists.
Additionally, on April 6, Barnes & Noble will hold storytime events in more than 630 locations nationwide, featuring the Family Forever hardcover storybook by Random House Children’s Books.
Sesame Workshop also issued the new Circle of Friends storybook, which focuses on bullying — an issue which disproportionately affects children with autism — and the Playground Friends digital game.
Sesame Street is also joining Autism Speaks and the Ad Council for a new campaign that seeks to raise awareness and help lower the age of autism diagnosis and empower parents.
Finally, Sesame Workshop also released a behind-the-scenes look at how the team at Jim Henson’s Creature Shop created Julia’s family.
