With Sesame Street’s Help, Ad Council Urges Autism Screenings for Kids [Video]

The bilingual campaign features Julia, a muppet with autism that Sesame Street added to its cast in 2017. Through a tie-up with Autism Speaks, a research and advocacy nonprofit, and Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit production company behind Sesame Street, the Ad Council is running two ads that show Julia using tools that help her better communicate with friends and family. For example, in one of the spots, she uses a tablet computer to tell her dad that she wants to play catch with her dog, showing how children on the autism spectrum may have delayed speech.

Another shows Julia putting on noise-reducing headphones—autistic children tend to be sensitive to light and loud sounds—so she can play instruments with her friends. The videos were created by BBDO New York and Hispanic …