dontnuketheducks:

micdotcom:

‘Sesame Street’ is bringing Julia, an autistic muppet , to the show

• Sesame Street has a new muppet on the block.
• On Sunday’s 60 Minutes, Julia, an autistic muppet, was introduced as the newest addition to the decades-old children’s television show’s cast. 
• After first appearing as Elmo and Abby’s playmate in a 2015 digital storybook for autistic children, Julia will be featured as a regular character starting in April 2017, Vulture reported.
• The fact that Julia is a girl seems significant, as some researchers believe autistic girls are under-diagnosed. Read more (3/20/17 12 PM)

I highly suggest watching the 60 minutes segment (or reading the transcript) – it’s really sweet and good. (Julia is played by the mom of an autistic kid!! She auditioned specifically so she could do this for her son!)