"Sesame Street" Treats New Character with Autism Like One of the Gang by Associated Press, Adapted by Newsela Staff on 03.22.17 Word Count 654
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
"Sesame Street" treats new character with autism like one of the gang By Associated Press, adapted by Newsela staff on 03.22.17 Word Count 654 Julia, a Muppet character who is autistic, will debut on April 10, 2017, on "Sesame Street." NEW YORK, N.Y. — On "Sesame Street," everyone is welcome. That certainly goes for Julia, a Muppet with red hair, bright green eyes and autism. Julia is one of the gang. She is not treated like an outsider, which too often is the case for kids who have autism. People with autism can have trouble talking and communicating with others. Many of them have special strengths and talents, though. For example, they might be very good at playing an instrument. On "Sesame Street," Julia is about to play a game with Oscar, Abby and Grover. The Muppet friends have been asked to find shapes like squares or circles. The Other Muppets Show Kindness And Understanding Abby tells Grover he is lucky. "You have Julia on your team, and she is really good at finding shapes!" This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. Then they take off. In another scene, Julia is having fun with Abby and Elmo when Big Bird walks up. He wants to be her new friend, but she does not speak to him. He thinks she does not like him. That is not the case, though. Making friends can be difficult for people with autism. Julia just does not know what to say to Big Bird. Julia then shows a fun way of playing tag. Everyone joins in. When a siren goes off, though, she covers her ears and looks scared. "She needs to take a break," Big Bird's human friend Alan explains. Soon, they start to play again. Julia's Character Has Been In The Works For Years For more than a year, Julia has been in drawings for a plan called "Sesame Street and Autism: See Amazing in All Children." Julia has been in a book, videos and more. The goal is to help people understand autism. Now Julia has been brought to life. Her debut on "Sesame Street" will air April 10 on PBS and HBO. Making Julia and the other parts of this plan required years of working with groups, experts and families, says Jeanette Betancourt. She works for Sesame Workshop. Finding Something All Kids Have In Common "In the U.S., 1 in 68 children is diagnosed with autism," she says. The show wanted to help with a better understanding of these children, she says. One way was finding things that all children share, she added. Julia represents the full range of children with the condition. However, she is not meant to fully show each of them. Just as we look at all children as being unique, we should do the same thing when we are looking at children with autism, Betancourt says. Stacey Gordon performs the part of Julia. It was with great interest that Gordon first learned of Julia. She said if Julia was ever a puppet, "I want to BE Julia!" No wonder. Gordon is a puppeteer who performs, holds classes and workshops, and makes puppets to sell. She is based in Phoenix, Arizona. She also has a son with autism. Before she started her family, she worked with children who had the condition. Bringing The Part Of Julia To Life She thought her chances of landing the part of Julia were small. However, her friends helped out. Two friends who worked as Muppeteers on "Sesame Street" gave her name to the show's leaders. After coming to New York City to try out, she was hired. The show is "something that I wish my son's friends had been able to see when they were small," says Gordon. Her son is 13 years old now. He is interested in math and science, and plays the piano, she says. This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. She is having fun being part of the show. As a child, she enjoyed watching it. "It is so much fun to be on set with everyone," Gordon says. She is also serious about it, she says. She does not want to let down those with ties to autism, she added. This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. Quiz 1 Which sentence from the article explains why Julia does not talk to Big Bird when they meet? (A) He wants to be her new friend, but she does not speak to him. (B) He thinks she does not like him. (C) Julia just does not know what to say to Big Bird. (D) "She needs to take a break," Big Bird's human friend Alan explains. 2 Read the paragraph from the section "Julia's Character Has Been In The Works For Years." Now Julia has been brought to life. Her debut on "Sesame Street" will air April 10 on PBS and HBO. What does the author mean by "debut"? (A) biggest part (B) first appearance (C) last role (D) favorite episode 3 Read the paragraph from the section "Finding Something All Kids Have In Common." Julia represents the full range of children with the condition. However, she is not meant to fully show each of them. Just as we look at all children as being unique, we should do the same thing when we are looking at children with autism, Betancourt says. What does "unique" mean in this paragraph? (A) alike (B) friendly (C) happy (D) special 4 Select the sentence from the article that BEST explains why "Sesame Street" created the character of Julia. (A) On "Sesame Street," everyone is welcome. (B) The goal is to help people understand autism. (C) She also has a son with autism. (D) "It is so much fun to be on set with everyone," Gordon says. This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com..