Author: Allison Slater Tate / Source: TODAY.com
For April’s Autism Awareness Month, Sesame Workshop is introducing something new and important for Julia, the 4-year-old “Sesame Street” Muppet with autism: a family.
Now, “Sesame Street” fans can meet Julia’s parents, a 7-year-old, soccer-loving older brother named Samuel, and her companion dog Rose in a series of new videos and materials on the show’s website.
Julia will also be the focus of “Sesame Street’s” April 8 episode, in which Elmo, Abby Cadabby, and Alan help Julia overcome her fear of getting a haircut by playing “hair salon” with her.
Though a haircut can be intimidating for any child, the episode highlights some specific coping strategies a child with autism might use in that situation.“We hope to show the challenges — but also all the similarities — that a family like Julia’s faces in everyday life,” educational therapist Dr. Jeannette Betancourt told TODAY Parents. Betancourt has worked with Sesame Workshop — the nonprofit behind “Sesame Street” — for over 20 years. She is the senior vice president of social impact for the organization, including its Sesame Street and Autism: See Amazing in All Children initiative, and helped create Julia and her family.
“It was amazing to see Julia come to life, and as we started…
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