The longtime children’s show Sesame Street has recently added a new character named Julia, a four year old girl with autism.
This addition comes at a time when autism rates have reached an all-time high as about one in every 68 children are on the autism spectrum according to the Center for Disease Control. Whether this is due to better knowledge of the disorders or other outer factors are debated by doctors and parents alike.
Julia originated from a popular episode of an online series of more tough, wide ranging topics, also made by Sesame Street which was made to explain autism to young audiences. After the character received praise by both critics and audiences, it was decided that she would be given that a role on the main PBS show.
Sesame Street has a history of addressing tough topics head on. Subjects such as race, death, and incarcerated parents have all been touched on, autism is the newest to address a topic that parents could have more difficulty talking to their children about.
“Sesame Street in particular targets a younger audience which makes this role just that much more important because it spreads autism awareness to younger generations” Newtown High School junior and Best Buddies Vice President Sarah Kennedy said.
While is research conducted for every character and topic covered in the show, special research was done to create an accurate example of a child with autism. Researchers found it difficult to choose the characteristics that children could recognize in their own peers and a good example of a child with autism.
An attribute of Julia’s attributes that is different than other characters on the show is her tendency to flap her arms when she gets excited, which is a trait that required puppet makers to create two sets of hands, one she can flap and another that is stationary. Hand flapping is a common action among children with autism. Julia is introduced with Big Bird greeting her. When she does not respond, Elmo explains to Big Bird that she is not ignoring him, and Big Bird is okay.
“Sesame Street shows Julie as an artist who loves picking flowers, showing the audience that people with autism partake in the same activities as those without autism.” NHS junior and Best Buddies Secretary Bridget Morrissey said.
Julia’s addition comes at a time with little to no examples of children with autism
on mainstream television. Writers hope to give young children an example of a child with autism to expose them to different behaviors, normalizing and demystifying them.
“It is crucial to teach children from a young age to be patient and friendly to those who need extra help. This is especially true within a society where the number of people with IDD (intellectual and developmental disorders) is rapidly increasing. By learning acceptance at a young age, there will be less barriers that individuals with autism will need to leap over emotionally, socially and eventually in their occupational pursuits,” Morrissey said.
Julia is not yet a recurring character, but parents of children with autism hope that her presence on the show will normalize and create understanding within a new generation of children about intellectual and developmental disorders.
Image Courtesy of Us Weekly