Meet Julia: Sesame Street’s First Muppet With Autism

There’s a new addition to Sesame Street, and her name is Julia!

Julia made her debut on 60 Minutes last night, and not only is she a wonderful singer and can remember big words to all of her favorite songs, but she’s making history as the very first muppet on the show to have autism.

She, Elmo, and Abby are already best friends. And as seen on 60 Minutes, when Julia is excited, she flaps her arms around. Loud noises (like sirens) also startle her, which sometimes force her to take a break from playtime. But that’s okay, because she has an incredible amount of love and support that help her through.

The new muppet was born out of a 2015 initiative through Sesame Workshop to educate kids and parents about autism. Her official debut on the show will be in an episode called “Meet Julia,” which airs April 10 on PBS and HBO.

“In the U.S., one in 68 children is diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder,” Jeanette Betancourt, vice president of U.S. social impact at Sesame Workshop, said to the Associated Press. “We wanted to promote a better understanding and reduce the stigma often found around these children. We’re modeling the way both children and adults can look at autism from a strength-based perspective: finding things that all children share.”

We’re already in love with Julia!

Sesame Street released a few teasers on her behalf, featuring clips of Julia and Abby as they sing and play together.

According to the Associated Press, the puppeteer, Stacey Gordon, who is behind Julia is the mother of an autistic child herself: “The ‘Meet Julia’ episode is something that I wish my son’s friends had been able to see when they were small,” Stacey said. “I remember him having meltdowns and his classmates not understanding how to react.”

Without further ado, let’s meet Julia: