Additionally, ASAN’s director of operations, Zoe Gross says the problem lies in what the organization is endorsing in the episodes/ads featuring Julia. Marybeth Nelson Her introduction came with the announcement of " Sesame Street … Until this summer, the content Sesame Street produced showed parents that … In an exclusive announcement on People.com on Wednesday morning , Sesame Workshop introduced Julia, a muppet with autism, as part of a new initiative called Sesame Street and Autism: See Amazing in All Children . @2021 Parentology. Sesame Workshop aimed to reduce “the stigma of autism” through the characterization of Julia in the digital storybook, We’re Amazing, 1, 2, 3!. Julia is a four-year-old girl with autism from Sesame Street, introduced in 2015 as part of the Sesame Street and Autism: See Amazing in All Children initiative. And now, Julia is being used to promote a resource that suggests parents of newly diagnosed autistic children go through the five stages of grief for their (still-living) child, among other regressive and dangerous narratives about autism. Autistic “Sesame Street” Character Julia Shows Kids How to Hug Someone Who Dislikes Being Touched. Recently, Julia appeared in a series of Public Service Announcements (“PSAs”) produced with the Ad Council and Autism Speaks. I am autistic, like Julia. Slate relies on advertising to support our journalism. Julia’s difference is embraced by her friends. All contents © 2021 The Slate Group LLC. Newest "Sesame Street" Muppet has autism: Meet Julia. 60 Minutes visits "Sesame Street" for the first time and films the debut of their new Muppet character, Julia, who has autism What happens if the test comes up positive, though? Sesame Street welcomes first autistic charact... 01:41 The folks who have been bringing us "Sesame Street" for 46 years say their mission is to help kids grow smarter, stronger and kinder. People go out of their way to understand and include her. The Sesame Workshop’s goal was to provide a platform of acceptance. In April, Sesame Street will introduce Julia, a new character who has autism.Julia is not exactly a stranger to the neighborhood, having first appeared in a “digital storybook” released in 2015, which itself was enough to get parents excited. Instead of a childhood full of social rejection and isolation like mine, Julia’s life modeled a better world, until very recently. She is a young girl with bright orange hair and big green eyes and is friends with Elmo and Abby. In 2017, Sesame Street introduced a new Muppet named Julia, who is an autistic 4-year-old. Then there are smaller suggestions that children like me are a tragedy: In one parental anecdote, a mother complains about how a kid at her child’s preschool who was diagnosed with leukemia is getting all the attention she deserves, as if having a child with cancer and a child with a developmental disability are at all comparable. By joining Slate Plus you support our work and get exclusive content. We are rarely the ones who tell our own stories, and most of the stories other people tell about us are sensational or just downright awful. Julia was even featured on a float in last year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Watch the Video. Send me updates about Slate special offers. The writers at Sesame Street understand this challenge, and consulted with a number of different autism organizations to develop their character. This is a list of fictional characters that have been explicitly described within the work in which they appear, or otherwise by the author, as having conditions on the autism spectrum.It is not intended to include speculation. Bravo, Sesame Street – your character with autism will … ASAN’s decision to break with Sesame Street this month might seem surprising at first glance, but it came on the heels of the show’s baffling partnership with another group that’s enduringly divisive among advocates: Autism Speaks. All of Michelle Obama! An autistic Sesame Street character is caught in a conflict between the most prominent autism organisation in the United States. The four-year-old girl with an orange bob-cut and green eyes debuted in 2015 as part of the Sesame Street and Autism: See Amazing in All Children initiative. Unfortunately, the campaign provoked the Autism Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) to end their partnership with Sesame Workshop. Cure research has become increasingly unpopular as neurodiversity, the branch of the disability rights movement pioneered by autistic self-advocates, has become mainstream. I Love My Family. She’s since appeared on three seasons of the show. 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. UPDATED: Teen Locked Up Abroad For Violating COVID-19 Quarantine... STUDY: Why Some Kids with Mood Disorders Have Higher... Moms Boycott Baby Guru’s Parenting Courses Because She Donated To Trump, How Music Can Improve Your Child’s Mental Health, Do These Things If Your Child Has a Concussion. Where the “Sesame Street” characters fall on the economic continuum Show producers welcomed input on developing the character, said Julia Bascom, deputy executive director of the Autistic … It was groundbreaking that Sesame Street told stories about an autistic person in consultation with actual autistic people. Why the Team Behind Sesame Street Created a Character With Autism The bravest new face on television is a Muppet that doesn’t say much. You’ve run out of free articles. We are running it again now, with updates throughout, as Julia will make her debut on Sesame Street in April.. As the group explained, infuriatingly, “Our contacts acknowledged that the Autism Speaks resources were harmful and portrayed autistic children in a negative light—yet they were unwilling to reverse course in their plans to promote them.”. According to Dr. Jeanette Betancourt, senior vice president of U.S. social impact for the Sesame Workshop, autism is a topic families have been asking to be featured on the show for a … Similarly, Julia is performed by Stacey Gordon, who also has her own experiences raising an autistic son. Meet Julia, an old buddy of Elmo’s and the newest friend on Sesame Street. The first Sesame Street muppet with autism, Julia, has made her debut on TV in the US. Named Julia, the character was revealed through Sesame Workshop's Sesame Street … Fluffster Wears a Mask. Without a doubt, the digital storybook and its materials have been an effective resource in transforming knowledge about developmental disorders. Sesame Street’s new character to tackle autism stigma. Watch the Video. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Much fanfare was made last year when the word cure was removed from its mission statement. I hope Sesame Workshop reconsiders its puzzling decision to promote harmful narratives about autism—after waiting so long for a character like her, autistic people like me deserve to love and embrace Julia in an uncomplicated way. Julia, a Sesame Street character meant to represent a child with autism, is shown here at the 2018 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. All Rights Reserved. “Great strides have been made and the current state of progress is a far cry from the time when parents were given no hope for their children.” It’s not hard to see why the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, an organization dedicated to acceptance and inclusion, was forced to cut ties with Sesame Street. by Zinnia Ramirez August 13, 2019. written by Zinnia Ramirez August 13, 2019. The Altogether Thrilling Fashion of the Inauguration, Reviewed, On the Eve of Her Father’s Ouster, Tiffany Trump Has Her Most Pathetic Moment Yet, “What Do I Do? People usually say she does things in a "Julia sort of way." When you watch the Autism Speaks ad spots in question, everything seems to be about acceptance. Sesame Street is introducing its first character with autism.. Julia, a little yellow Muppet girl, is part of a campaign to reduce stigma surrounding the disorder. Meet Julia. An autistic character is now part of Sesame Street, it emerged Wednesday. It’s only when you click through to the resource itself that things begin to get murky. Julia is sunshine-yellow and never without her beloved rabbit, Fluffster. The newest Sesame Street character, Julia, is a little girl who also has autism. Meet Julia, an old buddy of Elmo’s and the newest friend on Sesame Street. By Elizabeth Nelson. Sesame Street is adding a new character to its ranks – a muppet called Julia, who has autism. All rights reserved. Cookie Settings “Autism Speaks is dedicated to funding global biomedical research into the causes, prevention, treatments and a possible cure for autism,” the guide announces on its first page. She was a triumph of representation for people like me. The kit includes useful tools for advocating for a child’s inclusive education and keeping appointments organized, for example. I love the fact that the character they chose is a girl, for example, because there are virtually no examples of women with autism in popular culture. … Autistic Self Advocacy Network: ASAN Has Ended Partnership With Sesame StreetSage Journal: The impact of the Sesame Street “See Amazing in All Children” initiativeFast Company: Sesame Street’s autistic muppet, Julia, was a huge success. Julia has autism…and she and Elmo share an amazing friendship. Julia demonstrates simple ways to make wearing a mask easier. As a result, ASAN ended their partnership. Autism Speaks is behind the 100 Day Kit for Young Children, which describes itself as “a tool designed to help assist families of children recently diagnosed with autism during the critical period following an autism diagnosis.” Autism can require a high degree of specialized support, and many parents don’t adequately learn about their child’s disabilities. These personal experiences, coupled with input from teams of researchers and advocacy groups, created what they believed to be an accurate portrayal of an autistic character. Sesame Street and Autism - See Amazing in All Children. By Peter Bochner. It even instructs parents to go through the five stages of grief after learning that their child is autistic, as they would if the child had died.”. Julia is so refreshing because she is portrayed as a normal child—she plays, she has friends, she has a family. The way we talk about autism’s impact on families matters. According to ASAN’s statement, “Like much of Autism Speaks’ recent advertising, these PSAs use the language of acceptance and understanding to push resources that further stigma and treat autistic people as burdens on our families.”. Many people on the autism spectrum who have sensory sensitivities dislike certain types of physical touch, such as hugging. Get the latest news, updates, giveaways and more - sent right to your inbox. "So she does things a little differently. Parentology is your information destination for parenting in the digital age. Keep Amazing Going. “We all can feel happy, we all can feel mad” doesn’t sound revolutionary, but many still believe that autistic people don’t feel at all. At first only in an online picture book, and later the show itself, the character, an autistic 4-year-old girl, was shaped by a diverse group of autism advocates and researchers. What’s not to love about playing music with friends or promoting diversity in communication? This is listed alongside medically validated autism interventions like occupational therapy. “The 100 Day Kit encourages parents to blame family difficulties on their autistic child … and to view autism as a terrible disease from which their child can ‘get better,'” the statement reads. She has fun with her good friends Elmo and Abby Cadabby, two of the most popular characters on Sesame Street. According to ASAN, the materials relating to the campaign stigmatized children with autism and their families. Want to know more about Autism and its early signs? Elsewhere, the guide suggests a restrictive gluten-free, dairy-free diet for autistic children, which has no scientific support. But now, the organization is no longer involved. Singing about it, of course! You can manage your newsletter subscriptions at any time. For the record: Nobody has ever died of autism. Now, the program is breaking new ground by introducing a character with autism, a Muppet named Julia. Jeanette Betancourt, Sesame Workshop’s senior vice president for social impact in the US says, “We truly value all our partners, including ASAN, and are disappointed, but we understand their perspective, and we respect it.”, It should be noted that Julia has had some major success while being on air. What could possibly be wrong? After nearly a decade of featuring the same Muppet characters, Sesame Street added a yellow Muppet named Julia. Sesame Street has become the latest television show to introduce a character with autism. Crucially, one of the groups behind Julia was the Autistic Self Advocacy Network—the only national organization by and for autistic people in the United States. ASAN Has Ended Partnership With Sesame Street, The impact of the Sesame Street “See Amazing in All Children” initiative, Sesame Street’s autistic muppet, Julia, was a huge success. The ads encourage viewers to have their children screened for autism and points to a resource on the Autism Speaks website that declares, “For Julia’s family, early screening made a lifetime of difference.” The first and biggest link on the page is a test called the M-CHAT-R (Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers, Revised). (In an email, Autism Speaks said, “The 100 Day Kit is not intended to provide medical advice, but rather to provide general information about autism services to the community to help them make informed personal decisions.”), Autism Speaks, a longtime hotbed of controversy, currently asserts that it is not, in fact, searching for a cure for autism. One of her concerns includes a “100 Day kit” that aims to help parents for 100 days following the diagnosis. The Autistic Self Advocacy Network condemns Sesame Street’s decision to further stigma against autistic children and adults in their new Public Service Announcements. Julia, new Sesame Street character with autism. The problem is, it also weaves incredibly harmful information with useful information with little to no distinction. At first only in an online picture book, and later the show itself, the character, an autistic 4-year-old girl, was shaped by a diverse group of autism advocates and researchers. “Sesame Street” has been no stranger to addressing sensitive and sometimes difficult topics in its episodes. The PSAs highlight how Julia’s friends and family have helped her learn to adapt and enjoy her life, driven by their awareness of her developmental disorder. The Sesame Workshop says she is being introduced as part of a campaign to take the stigma away from the disorder. “It recommends compliance-based ‘therapies’ and pseudoscientific ‘autism diets,’ but fails to educate families about communication supports. Which is why I am overjoyed that Sesame Street has introduced an autistic muppet, called Julia (who will be operated by a woman, Stacey Gordon, who has a son with autism). Autism Speaks is one of the largest, most visible autism charities. I’m a little embarrassed to admit that the first time I heard “The Amazing Song,” the show’s anthem about autism, I cried. According to ASAN, contacts at Sesame Workshop “acknowledged that the Autism Speaks resources were harmful and portrayed autistic children in a negative light” but decided to move forward with the ad campaigns. The kit even has an entire section outlining how parents may go through the Kübler-Ross stages of grief. She is different in some ways; she has her difficulty tolerating loud noises, for example. She can be a little shy, but Elmo … The Autism Speaks PSAs promote a message diametrically opposed to the spirit and purpose of the character. If you value our work, please disable your ad blocker. ": Judy Blume’s Charming, Stressful Tale of How She Got the COVID Vaccine. Sesame Street’s Autistic Muppet, Julia, Accused of Stigmatizing Autism. But those differences are embraced by the people around her. For several years, ASAN consulted with Sesame Street on their See Amazing project and the development of their autistic character, Julia. Julia, a new autistic muppet character, will join the cast of "Sesame Street" in April. However, things have recently taken a turn, and now critics are saying that Sesame Street is stigmatizing autism. Four years ago, Sesame Street introduced Julia, its first new Muppet in 10 years. The 100 Day Kit features a persistent narrative that having a child like me or Sesame Street’s Julia is like having a child who has died. But she speaks volumes about life on the spectrum We encountered an issue signing you up. Freelance book editor for Sesame Workshop, Leslie Kimmelman, created Julia with her own experiences in mind. The popular children’s show introduces Julia, an autistic character, in a digital storybook. Ironically, a felt puppet with a traffic-cone-orange nose is one of the most realistic, informed, and positive representations of autism to ever appear on television. At first, it might not be so obvious what’s wrong with the partnership. The 100 Day Kit features a persistent narrative that having a child like me or, Ensconced in Tendons, Ligaments, and Muscles, “I Think My Gmail Has Crashed”: The Teacher Who Made Bernie Sanders’ Mittens on Watching Them Go Viral, Kamala’s Nieces! Please try again. Meet Sesame Street's First Character with Autism: 'We Want to Create Greater Awareness and Empathy' Julia, a new muppet with autism, will join Grover and Elmo in their Sesame Street … The 100 Days Guide for Young Children, on the other hand, says the exact opposite more than a dozen times. It takes about two minutes and can be used to evaluate whether your child is keeping up with developmental milestones. Bernie’s Mittens! You can cancel anytime. Sesame Street on Wednesday introduced its first autistic character, Julia. Then you get a link recommending the Autism Speaks 100 Day Kit for Young Children. The character was first introduced during the new Sesame Street and Autism: See Amazing in All Children. Slate’s sharpest takes, curated and distilled by Slate’s copy desk, delivered to your inbox every day. After nearly a decade of featuring the same Muppet characters, Sesame Street added a yellow Muppet named Julia. An exciting new character is set to join the world of "Sesame Street." In May 2019, a study in the international peer-reviewed journal Autism stated, “Following exposure, parents of non-autistic children showed small but significant increases in knowledge of autism and, like parents of autistic children, greater acceptance of autistic children.”, Similarly, the journal describes, “Parents of autistic children reported less strain, increased parenting competence, and more hope about involving their child in their community.”. As a mother of an autistic child, she was able to characterize Julia. Join Slate Plus to continue reading, and you’ll get unlimited access to all our work—and support Slate’s independent journalism. Thu Jan 07 2021. Sesame Street is hoping to help destigmatize autism by introducing its first autistic muppet, Julia. Why Sesame Street’s new character isn’t representative of most kids with autism Meet Julia, Sesame Street’s newest muppet. Sesame Street Introduces Julia, A Muppet With Autism Julia has bright red hair, big green eyes and she loves to draw. And you'll never see this message again. Marybeth Nelson / Sesame Workshop "Elmo's daddy told Elmo that Julia has autism," he says. ASAN decided to cut ties with Sesame Street after the show partnered with Autism Speaks for public service announcements that push the 100 Day Kit, over the former group’s vehement objection. Unfortunately, ASAN’s departure has shifted public perception of Julia. Slate is published by The Slate Group, a Graham Holdings Company. A muppet character named Julia is now part of Sesame Street Workshop‘s new online initiative, called Sesame Street and Autism: See Amazing in All Children.. Thanks for signing up!