What was a unique challenge faced by Sesame Workshop when creating the autistic Muppet character Julia?

Folks on Sesame Street have a way of making everyone feel accepted.

That certainly goes for Julia, a Muppet youngster with blazing red hair, bright green eyes — and autism. Rather than being treated like an outsider, which too often is the plight of kids on the spectrum, Julia is one of the gang.

Look: On this friendliest of streets (actually Studio J at New York's Kaufman Astoria Studios, where Sesame Street lives) Julia is about to play a game with Oscar, Abby and Grover. In this scene being taped for airing next season, these Muppet chums have been challenged to spot objects shaped like squares or circles or triangles.

"You're lucky," says Abby to Grover. "You have Julia on your team, and she is really good at finding shapes!"

With that, they skedaddle, an exit that calls for the six Muppeteers squatted out of sight below them to scramble accordingly. Joining her pals, Julia (performed by Stacey Gordon) takes off hunting.

For more than a year, Julia has existed in print and digital illustrations as the centerpiece of a multifaceted initiative by Sesame Workshop called "Sesame Street and Autism: See Amazing in All Children."

She has been the subject of a storybook released along with videos, e-books, an app and website.

The goal is to promote a better understanding of what the Autism Speaks advocacy group describes as "a range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviours, speech and nonverbal communication, as well as by unique strengths and differences."

But now Julia has been brought to life in fine Muppet fettle.

She makes her TV debut on Sesame Street in the "Meet Julia" episode airing April 10 on both PBS and HBO. Additional videos featuring Julia will be available online.

Created after years of consultation

Developing Julia and all the other components of this campaign has required years of consultation with organizations, experts and families within the autism community, according to Jeanette Betancourt, Sesame Workshop's senior vice-president of U.S. Social Impact.

"In the U.S., one in 68 children is diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder," she says.

We're modelling the way both children and adults can look at autism from a strength-based perspective: finding things that all children share.- Jeanette Betancourt, Sesame Workshop

"We wanted to promote a better understanding and reduce the stigma often found around these children. We're modelling the way both children and adults can look at autism from a strength-based perspective: finding things that all children share."

Julia is at the heart of this effort. But while she represents the full range of children on the spectrum, she isn't meant to typify each one of them: "Just as we look at all children as being unique, we should do the same thing when we're looking at children with autism," Betancourt says.

It was with keen interest that Stacey Gordon first learned of Julia more than a year ago. "I said, 'If she's ever a puppet, I want to BE Julia!"'

No wonder. Gordon is a Phoenix-based puppeteer who performs, conducts classes and workshops, and creates whimsical puppets for sale to the public.

She also has a son with autism, and, before she started her family, was a therapist to youngsters on the spectrum.

Although she figured her chances of landing the dream role of Julia were nil, her contacts in the puppet world paid off: Two friends who worked as Muppeteers on Sesame Street dropped her name to the producers. After submitting tapes, then coming to New York for an audition, she was hired.

'Does things just a little differently'

In the introductory segment, Julia is having fun with Abby and Elmo when Big Bird walks up. He wants to be her new friend, but she doesn't speak to him. He thinks she doesn't like him.

"She does things just a little differently, in a Julia sort of way," Abby informs him.

Julia, chuckling, then displays a different-but-fun way of playing tag, and everyone joins in. But when a siren wails, she covers her ears and looks stricken.

"She needs to take a break," Big Bird's human friend Alan calmly explains. Soon, all is well and play resumes.

"The 'Meet Julia' episode is something that I wish my son's friends had been able to see when they were small," says Gordon. "I remember him having meltdowns and his classmates not understanding how to react."

Gordon says her son, now 13, isn't drawn to puppetry. "He's more interested in math and science, and plays the piano brilliantly," she says with pride.

But she's having a blast being part of the show that helped hook her, as a child, on puppeteering.

"It is so much fun to be on set with everyone, and get to play up all the positive things I've seen with the kids that I've worked with," Gordon says. "At the same time, I come at this with a reverence. I don't want to let the autism community down."

New multilingual resources featuring Sesame Street Muppet Julia and her family are created in close partnership with Exceptional Minds and Friends of Children with Special Needs

(October 4, 2021 – New York, NY) Sesame Workshop is expanding its Sesame Street and Autism: See Amazing in All Children initiative with new resources featuring Julia, a 4-year-old Sesame Street Muppet with autism. The new resources available at sesamestreet.org/autism are designed to help families create new routines, build flexibility, and cope with the challenges of change during turbulent times.

In continued partnership with Exceptional Minds, an academy and studio preparing young adults on the autism spectrum for careers in animation and beyond, Sesame Workshop is launching a new animated video featuring Julia as she learns how to handle her fear of the dark by drawing what she’s afraid of—helping her brother along the way. This video was written, produced, and animated by Exceptional Minds’ team of artists on the autism spectrum. Accompanying the animation are new printables and coloring and activity sheets, including Good Night routine cards to help children develop a healthy bedtime routine.

Sesame Workshop continues to expand the breadth of the See Amazing in All Children content library based on feedback from advisors and community members. In an effort to better serve the Chinese American autism community, Sesame Workshop is partnering with Friends of Children with Special Needs (FCSN) to launch Mandarin and Cantonese adaptations of the We’re Amazing 1, 2, 3 digital storybook featuring Elmo and Abby Cadabby learning different ways to play with Julia and help their friend feel safe and comfortable. Two new articles written by FCSN will be available for families and providers on the unique challenges Chinese American children with autism face.

“Autistic children and their families are facing unprecedented challenges this year, and Sesame Workshop is here to help kids create healthy routines, develop self-regulation and calming strategies, and build resilience,” said Dr. Jeanette Betancourt, Senior Vice President of US Social Impact at Sesame Workshop. “We know the importance of collaborating with the autistic community as well as their families when creating new materials, which is why we teamed up with Exceptional Minds and Friends of Children with Special Needs to launch these new resources today.”

Created in 2015, the Sesame Street and Autism: See Amazing in All Children initiative aims to increase public awareness of autism, foster greater empathy and understanding, and support families with free resources to help them navigate everyday moments and challenges. Sesame Workshop has partnered with Exceptional Minds since 2015, starting with Emmy-nominated Benny’s story.

"The Exceptional Minds team of artists on the spectrum continue to showcase their writing, producing, and animation talents on our latest Sesame Workshop short, Backyard Camping. This project amplifies the workplace skills of our amazing artists while shining a light on autism inclusion. Eighty percent of adults with autism are unemployed or underemployed, but with Sesame Workshop’s continued partnership, we are changing that,” said David Siegel, Executive Director of Exceptional Minds.

See Amazing in All Children was developed in consultation with over 250 organizations and experts within the autism community. With 1 in 54 children diagnosed with autism, this initiative is designed to show that all children—autistic and neurotypical alike—are amazing in their own ways.

“Children with autism need to be understood and embraced by communities around the world. Friends of Children with Special Needs (FCSN) is honored to partner with Sesame to translate this important book about Julia, a child with autism, into Chinese languages,” said Anna Wang, Co-founder and Vice President, FCSN. “Our hope is that this will start to remove cultural stigma associated with autistic children in the Chinese community and help make the world a more welcoming place for them.”

The Sesame Street and Autism: See Amazing in All Children initiative is made possible by generous philanthropic support from American Greetings and Kristen Rohr and is part of Sesame Workshop’s mission to help all children grow smarter, stronger, and kinder.

About Sesame Workshop

Sesame Workshop is the nonprofit media and educational organization behind Sesame Street, the pioneering television show that has been reaching and teaching children since 1969. Today, Sesame Workshop is an innovative force for change, with a mission to help kids everywhere grow smarter, stronger, and kinder. We’re active in more than 150 countries, serving vulnerable children through a wide range of media, formal education, and philanthropically-funded social impact programs, each grounded in rigorous research and tailored to the needs and cultures of the communities we serve. For more information, please visit www.sesameworkshop.org.

About Exceptional Minds

Exceptional Minds, a California non-profit of the year, is an academy and studio preparing young adults on the autism spectrum for careers in animation, visual effects, 3D gaming, and other related fields in the entertainment industry. Exceptional Minds provides critical technical and work readiness training customized to help its students achieve their full artistic and professional potential, creating a new pipeline of talented artists, and fostering inclusive hiring practices. Exceptional Minds and its partners are building a future where neurodiverse perspectives are vital to the advancement of a more empowered and inclusive society.

About Friends of Children with Special Needs

FCSN provides information and assistance to children with special needs, adults with special needs, and their communities.  We provide opportunities for individuals with special needs to give back to their community through volunteer work and jobs. FCSN believes in the power of families helping families and promotes peer support through our many programs and events. We emphasize family involvement and the integration of special-needs children and adults with their regular peers. FCSN is committed to opening the discussion about people with special needs by listening to and learning from them and their families. We train our youth volunteers to understand those with disabilities and develop their leadership skills. We strive to create a secure community in which individuals can learn, grow, and interact.