You're never too old to learn something new and whether you're three years old or 23 years old, Sesame Street's most recent addition should excite you.Recently, Sesame Street announced its newest character, Julia, to the world...and Julia has a very important quality about her...
Julia (pictured above) is Sesame Street's first-ever character with autism. Autism is a disorder that affects developmental and communication skills in some children and, unfortunately, there is a lot of stigma around this condition.
Knowing this, Julia was developed as a way to acknowledge that not all kids and people learn or communicate in the same way and that that is 100% okay!
Julia acts as the face of Sesame Street and Autism: See Amazing in All Children, the program's latest initiative. Their goal? To break down barriers around the term "autistic" and encourage further conversation about its true meaning.
The creators of the Sesame Street character wanted children to be able to learn about autism through a child's point of view to enhance their level of understanding. Julia is a vehicle to speak to children about this condition, using words and examples that children are likely to comprehend.
Autism is an issue that deserves the attention of EVERYONE and it's our hope that characters like Julia will help families, both with autistic individuals and without, become better-educated and accepting.
