Sesame Street's Newest Resident Is Julia, a Muppet on the Autism Spectrum

*Editors Note: The video version incorrectly spells the puppeteer’s name as ‘Stacy Gordon,’ and is corrected in the transcript as ‘Stacey Gordon.’

For the first time in a decade, Sesame Street is adding a new muppet to the block: Julia, a young muppet on the autism spectrum.

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For the First Time in a Decade, Sesame Street Is Adding a New Muppet to the Block.

Meet Julia, a young muppet on the autism spectrum.

“For years, families of children with autism have asked us to address the issue.” – Dr. Jeanette Betancourt, Sesame Workshop

“So many partners, advisors, and organizations have contributed to the success of this initiative.”

In 2015, Sesame Workshop launched Sesame Street and Autism: See Amazing in All Children.

This online initiative introduced Julia as a digital character in a storybook called “We’re Amazing, 1,2,3.”

Sesame Workshop has spent five years consulting with 250 organizations and experts within the autism community.

Julia will be played by Stacey Gordon, a puppeteer whose son is on the autism spectrum.

“I really wish that kids in my son’s class had grown up with a ‘Sesame Street’ that had modeling [of] the behavior of inclusion of characters with autism.” -Stacey Gordon, NPR interview

Julia will make her debut April 10 on PBS Kids and HBO.