A new character is joining Elmo, Oscar the Grouch and Big Bird on Sesame Street – her name is Julia and she is the first muppet with autism.
“We’re modelling the way both children and adults can look at autism from a strength-based perspective: finding things that all children share,“ she added.
Stacey Gordon, Julia’s puppeteer, has a son with autism and was previously a therapist to children on the spectrum.
The character was introduced a year ago in print and digital illustrations as part of a campaign to remove stigma around autism, which affects one in 68 children in the US.