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Good Morning America visited the set of Sesame Street to meet her art teacher mom, saxophone-playing dad, protective older brother, Sam, and their dog, Rose.
"Because Julia has autism, she does things a little bit differently," Sam explained. "It may take a few tries to get to know Julia, but just because she doesn't respond doesn't mean she doesn't want to be friends."
Julia, a 4-year-old muppet, is part of an initiative called "See Amazing in All Children." She has been part of the show for two years.
GMA's Paula Faris asked Elmo what he has learned from Julia.
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"Julia has autism," Elmo said. "And that makes Julia different ... But it's really cool that everybody's a little bit different but same, too. And Elmo and Julia have a lot in common, and we have a lot of fun together."
In addition to the new characters, the long-running children's program is offering resources for families affected by autism, including videos that talk about dealing with bullying.
Autism touches 1 in 59 children and their families in the U.S., Good Morning America reports. Autism Awareness Month is in April, while World Autism Awareness Day is on April 2.
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