Meet Julia from Sesame Street

April is Autism Awareness Month and advocates are excited to meet the newest character on the hit child program, Sesame Street set to air on April 10th! The episode will introduce Julia, a young female muppet with autism. Julia will be played by an Arizona mother of a son with autism, Stacey Gordon. The Sesame Street guest aims to destigmatize disability and promote inclusivity among children with autism. The Julia puppeteer, Stacey Gordon told CBS 60 Minutes,

“Had my son’s friends been exposed to his behaviors through something that they had seen on TV before they experienced them in the classroom, they might not have been frightened. They might not have been worried when he cried. They would have known that he plays in a different way and that that’s OK”.

Sesame Street writer, Christine Ferraro hopes the muppet becomes just Julia and “not Julia, the kid on Sesame Street who has Autism.” Be sure to tune into Sesame Street on Monday, April 10th and learn more by viewing the full interview available on CBS 60 Minutes.