Popular children's TV series Sesame Street will add a new character named Julia, who is a four-year-old female muppet suffering from autism.
The character will be introduced next month as part of an expanding autism initiative, reports nytimes.com.
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The news of Julia's arrival was announced on the show's website and through a series of YouTube videos featuring her on Sunday.
Julia, who loves to sing and can memorise lyrics better than her young peers, struggles with loud noises like sirens, which can cause her to become emotionally upset.
The character's arrival on the show is part of a larger educational effort by Sesame Street.
On Monday, Sesame Workshop, the non-profit organisation that backs Sesame Street, announced that it was expanding its autism offerings, to include new videos, e-books and books, released in both English and Spanish.
