Grover, Abby and Elmo of the Sesame Street got a new friend as a brand new character is added to the 'Sesame Street' team!
A new muppet named Julia who is autistic will be the new part of the nationwide initiative of the Sesame Street Workshop. The latest character is someone children can understand and relate to since most of them are aware of autism or know someone who is autistic.
The move called 'Sesame Street and Autism: See Amazing in All Children' is intended to create awareness among children and adults alike regarding autism. Its aim is to minimize the stigma of autism in the society by starting with educating the young kids.
Dr. Jeanette Betancourt, the senior vice president of U.S. social impact told People that children who are suffering from autism usually suffer from bullying too.
"Children with autism are five times more likely to get bullied," Betancourt stated.
"And with one in 68 children having autism, that's a lot of bullying. Our goal is to bring forth what all children share in common, not their differences. Children with autism share in the joy of playing and loving and being friends and being part of a group," senior vice president of U.S. social impact added.
As what the nonprofit organization 'Sesame Workshop' wrote on its official social media account, the new initiative is designed for the community and families who have children between 2 to 5 years old. A downloadable app with videos is provided for free along with digital story cards to aid children with autism and those who will encounter autistics.
According to Dr. Betancourt, the project is unique because it explains certain behaviors in the child's point of view making them understandable to younger children. It this way, they would be able to know how to properly deal with their autistic peers even at a young age.
With the help of the character of Julia, her new Sesame Street friends will understand that she wants to play with them in a different way in the story book.
Researcher took three years to create the initiative and they are hoping that it will help bring unity among people.
"We are trying to spread the story about the theory behind this whole thing - love and acceptance. Everyone is touched by autism, and by creating Julia, Sesame is bringing children together," Dr. Betencourt said.
