Julia, A Muppet With Autism, Joins The Cast Of 'Sesame Street'

[demmiblue]

Source: NPR



For the first time in a decade, the classic children's television show Sesame Street will introduce a new Muppet on the air.

Her name is Julia. She's a shy and winsome 4-year-old, with striking red hair and green eyes. Julia likes to paint and pick flowers. When Julia speaks, she often echoes what she's just heard her friends Abby and Elmo say. Julia has autism.

"There's so many people that have given her what she is. I'm just hoping to bring her the heart," says Stacy Gordon, the veteran puppeteer selected to play the part.

Presenting Julia to the gang requires a bit more explanation of her differences and hidden talents for the other Muppets — and their young viewers. As Abby Cadabby (the 3-year-old fairy played by Leslie Carrara-Rudolph) explained during NPR's recent visit to the set in the Astoria neighborhood of Queens, N.Y., it can be hard to get Julia's attention. Big Bird had to repeat himself to get her to listen, for example. And she sees things where others don't.

Read more: http://www.npr.org/2017/03/20/520577117/julia-a-muppet-with-autism-joins-the-cast-of-sesame-street

[shenmue]

1. Wonderful

[msanthrope]

2. I'm not crying, just in case you wondered why my eyes were shiny. nt

[Vinca]

3. And she's immediately on Trump's "hit list."

[Odoreida]

4. Sesame Street will probably survive. n/t

[christx30]

5. It's being produced by HBO these days,

so, you're right.

[Kimchijeon]

7. Yeah that's true.

At least Sesame Street will be safe!

[Vinca]

9. But if PBS didn't survive, people would have to purchase HBO to see Big Bird.

[TexasMommaWithAHat]

6. Sesame Street makes gobs of money

from licensing. If Sesame Street can't survive, nothing can.

[Archae]

8. I saw her on "60 Minutes" last night.

And someone posted to YouTube their autistic boy throwing a tantrum.

And...

The comic strip "Bizarro" had a meeting of fantasy creatures, including a unicorn, mermaid, Bigfoot, and the vaccine that causes autism.
The anti-vaxxers threw a fit.

http://bizarro.com/2017/03/13/wildestweekever/#more-94812

[kimbutgar]

10. This is so wonderful

When my son was diagnosed in 1996 with autism I always had to explain what autism was to adults and children. As the years progressed I no longer had to explain. When I apologized for my son and said he had autism more people told me they had a relative or neighbor or a co worker who had a child with autism. We took our son to Mexico and I would apologize and say he had autism even there people understood and said no problem.

I love that they are educating children now at an early age about autism. I am sad though pbs is being defended though. Such a cruel cute (of course one of many).