April is Autism Awareness Month, and Sesame Workshop is celebrating by expanding its resources to help the world be a more inclusive, joyful place. And honestly, this is the kind of thing that has no age limit.
Sesame Street and Sesame Workshop have always been pillars of kindness and love. From showcasing diversity to tackling tough subjects, the organization is the perfect example of teaching lessons that stick (and ones kids don’t even realize they’re learning). But even as a mom of three in my late 30s, I find myself feeling those lessons and resources from Sesame Workshop in a big way, and the Autism Awareness Month celebration really drove them home for me.
I’ve always loved watching my three daughters make friends — especially my middle child. She’s sensitive and empathetic and sees zero societal norms or pressures when it comes to making friends. Everybody is her friend! Everybody is worth talking to! Everybody deserves kindness! I recently learned that she’s picked by a friend in her school’s autism program almost every week to join them for “friendship Friday,” where they eat lunch together in the sensory room of her school. It’s truly magical to behold how she’s become a model of safety and comfort to her friends with autism.
And I want to be more like her.
The Sesame Workshop resources want the same for everyone. They are meant to help facilitate safe, inclusive group settings by giving children (and adults!) tips and engagement ideas for reaching out to someone, inviting others into your play, and offering encouragement to a kiddo who might feel a little uncertain or left out.
These new resources include four videos (including one with Julia, the friend on Sesame Street with autism who’s best buddies with Elmo), three printables, and one informative article. Using insights from autism experts and community members, the new resources encourage children and families to include new classmates or neighbors in conversation, learn different ways to play with new friends, and make group activities feel fun for everybody. There’s also a sweet moment when Elmo finds Julia’s headphones before a loud fire drill, which can help teach how to support those around us and make even the smallest connection mean something bigger.
We’ve come a long way in autism acceptance and inclusion, but we can always be better and kinder. I know that even I can shrink away from someone if I’m unsure how to connect with them, and looking over these Sesame Workshop resources, it empowers me to reach out more.
In an interview with Elmo and Julia, I also had the chance to ask Dr. Abigail Bucuvalas, senior director of curriculum and programs in the Global Education Department, how to encourage kids to reach out to someone who may act or seem different from them. She said it really is all about creating an environment of kindness and inclusivity, and watching behaviors bloom from there.
It’s so important, and it’s something I feel great pride in with my own parenting. If Sesame Street says it works, then goodness — I know it does.
You can find all of these new resources and more at Sesame Workshop.
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