Sesame Street to Feature Character With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Come April 10, "Sesame Street" will welcome a new Muppet to the neighborhood who will likely mean a great deal to the one in 68 children across the United States who have autism spectrum disorder.

The character, Julia, will arrive to help educate child viewers on autistic children.

"It's tricky because autism is not one thing, because it is different for every single person who has autism. There is an expression that goes, 'If you've met one person with autism, you've met one person with autism,'" Christine Ferraro, a veteran "Sesame Street" writer, told CBS's Lesley Stahl of "60 Minutes."

Elmo explained to Stahl in an interview what they want those watching the show to understand about children with autism. During the show's premiere, Big Bird tries to shake Julia's hand and she neglects to respond – prompting "a teaching moment for the characters on the show," reports The Hill.

"Yeah, but you know, we had to explain to Big Bird that Julia likes Big Bird. It's just that Julia has autism. So sometimes it takes her a little longer to do things," Elmo told Stahl.

Those with autism spectrum disorder – really a number of developmental disorders – display a range of characteristics such as difficulty communicating, repetitive habits and a small range of hobbies or likes, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. These behaviors are usually recognized in a child's first two years of life. The disorder is more severe in some cases than in others, and there are treatments available to improve symptoms.

"Sesame Street" partnered with organizations such as Autism Self Advocacy and Autism Speaks to get the character traits correct, per "60 Minutes." The Hill also notes that Julia isn't new to the "Sesame Street" universe. The character was first featured in "We're Amazing, 1,2,3," a digital storybook from 2015. She's a figure in both print and digital media as part of Sesame Workshop's "Sesame Street and Autism: See Amazing in All Children," reports the Associated Press.