Sesame Street

You heard it here first, unless you didn’t because the internet is a vast place where information is passed on at an alarming rate, but everyone’s favorite monster just got their COVID-19 vaccine.  In a segment targeted towards adults rather than kids, Elmo shows off his new band-aid, courtesy of him getting the COVID-19 vaccine. [...]

In a win for disability representation, Sesame Workshop recently introduced a new Muppet character who uses a wheelchair and forearm crutches to get around. Ameera will be part of Sesame Street’s counterpart in North Africa and the Middle East, “Ahlan Simsim,” which means “Welcome Sesame” in Arabic. My second-grader (who uses a variety of mobility [...]

“Sesame Street’s” float for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade caught the attention of people on the autism spectrum and their families. Julia, Sesame’s Street first autistic character, participated in the float, and she wore noise-canceling headphones. Noise-canceling or noise-muffling headphones help people on the autism spectrum handle sensory overload. As “Sesame Street” explained, “With the help [...]

“Sesame Street” has been a strong supporter of kids on the autism spectrum in the last few years. In 2015, through the “Sesame Street and Autism: see amazing in all children” initiative, they introduced Julia, a muppet on the autism spectrum, in a story book. Last spring, Julia made her TV debut as a regular [...]

On Tuesday, Time magazine released its list of the top 10 fictional characters of 2017. Of the 10 characters, two have mental illnesses, and one is on the autism spectrum. Randall Pearson, played by Sterling K. Brown, from “This Is Us” placed 10th on the list. Time’s explanation is based on Pearson’s compelling storyline of being raised [...]

Dear Elmo, Hey there Elmo. I know it is weird hearing from a grown up. I know I don’t really fit your demographic. But OMG I so get the phenomenon of you. Even if I didn’t have kids, I’d be obsessed with your infectious giggle, your cute factor, high pitched inquisitiveness and all that furry redness that [...]

There are many sayings and phrases that float around the autism community “If you’ve met one person with autism — you’ve met one person with autism.” “No one person on the spectrum is the same, just as no two snowflakes are the same.” Unique, special, different — these words have been used to explain my [...]

My son, Leo, has been drawn to “Sesame Street” and its cast of characters from an early age. Before autism trickled into our existence through his diagnosis. Before the influx of new therapies. Before the beginning school. The show seems to be a comfort through the ups and downs of learning how to navigate his way [...]

When the “60 Minutes” segment about Julia, Sesame Street’s new autistic muppet character, aired, within minutes my Facebook feed was filled with stories about it, and my phone started pinging with text messages. One of the stories included a link to the online video of the segment, which I turned on and my son came to stand next to me [...]

To help promote autism awareness, acceptance and understanding, PBS KIDS will air autism-themed episodes of several popular children’s shows throughout April, Autism Awareness Month. PBS KIDS’ autism-themed programing starts April 10 with the “Meet Julia” episode of “Sesame Street,” which introduces the show’s newest character, Julia, a muppet on the autism spectrum. The channel will also be featuring autism-related [...]