There’s a new kid on the street. Sesame Street that is.
This month, Sesame Street will introduce a new Muppet character to their gang live on television. 
Her name is Julia. She is four years old, very curious, and loves to paint, draw, and pick flowers. Julia likes hanging out with her friends Elmo and Abby Cadabby, and Julia also has autism.
The idea for Julia came from the Sesame Street Workshop organization that provides learning opportunities about real-life situations to kids and presents them in a child-friendly manner. Other issues the group has tackled include parents deployed in the military, as well as parents who are incarcerated.
Sesame Street points out that one in 68 million American children have some form of autism (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), so their hope and expectation is that Julia will strike a chord with and touch the hearts of countless viewers.
Julia began as a minor character in Sesame Street books and digital venues before it was suggested she be brought to life on television. Interestingly, Stacey Gordon, the puppeteer responsible for Julia’s animation, is a mother of an autistic child herself.
Meet Julia when she makes her debut April 10 on Sesame Street airing on PBS Kids, HBO, and available on YouTube.
You can also check out Sesame Street’s resources about autism here: http://autism.sesamestreet.org
