She doesnt like the way the brush feels. Mom braids. E i feel happy i can help her. Of attention in the morning, but my big sister and i get time with my mom and dad too. That is really good at putting on jewelry. He helps alyssa while my mom brushes my hair. I like how she does it. I love having her as my little sister. She is amazing. I think youre amazing. With joslyn and alyssa and we are going to find out how amazing their family is. What do you like best about your family . Theyll treat us the same. We are all equal. It doesnt matter if she has autism, my parents wont leave us out. Lets have a group hug. Im in the middle of love. Im in the middle of love this is the best. [applause] well, welcome, everybody to this standing room only crowd. I am the president and ceo of Sesame Workshop and im delighted to be her and welcome all of you to this important and wonderful event. Sesame street and autism, seeing me in amazing in all children. I want to open by spending a few moments just talking about why and event is so important what autism is so important to Sesame Workshop. The best way to do that is perhaps to quote. This is from my angelou. This goes really to the heart of do. We are and the work we she said it is time to teach young people in diversity there is beauty and there is strength. That has really been what Sesame Workshop has been about from the very beginning, since we first started we have promoted this expansive attitude and have created one of the first truly racially diverse neighborhoods on television and one that featured muppets as well as humans of varying abilities. And just has importantly, various disabilities. Our focus has always been to vote help kids everywhere grow smarter and stronger and kinder and of course, that is what this initiative is all about. All three of those things. Let me just waking make one other observation as we are in this wonderful space in the capital. Arekids, our audience Little People that are three feet tall, they are not partisan. They are too innocent to have biases. They are too innocent to judge and so, it means something to all of us at sesame to be here represent politics, regardless of that, to be here from both sides of the aisle and be here for kids. That is an amazing thing. We appreciate that, we welcome you and hope you learn something that this and we hope is a memorable event, the beginning of a Great National conversation. That, let me turn it over to sherrie westin, our executive Vice President for social impact and philanthropy. Who leaked this tremendous group of people who have worked on this so hard, both on this initiative and this event and it wouldnt be possible without her. Come up and she will be your host for today. Come on up and thank you. [applause] you, jeff carried and most of all, thank you for your support. He has been the biggest champion of this work. Mybehalf of all of colleagues at the workshop, i think all of you for being here, to take the chime time to join this means so much. The video you saw is from sesame streets initiative, seeing amazing and all children. You may know that sesame street has a long history of looking at issues through the lens of a child and given that one in 68 children in the u. S. Today are diagnosed on the autism spectrum, we knew that this was an issue we needed to address. So we launched our initiative in the fall of 2015 and we had two very specific objectives in mind. One, to create tools and resources for families with children with autism to make every day moments easier, but second, we wanted to reach the public at large to help destigmatize autism, to help increase understanding, awareness and promote inclusion and acceptance. Plays ais where julia critical role. Heardlly by now you have that julia is an adorable little fouryearold girl. She is very serious and she has autism. She was first created online as a digital muppet and is part of a wonderful storybook that was called i see amazing 123. Written by leslie kimmelman. This initiative and julia herself from the Autism Community was simply amazing. We decided that we needed to bring julia to life on sesame street. I am thrilled to say that the episode me julia the here on julia will air on sesame street. Through julia, we hope that children with autism will have a character they can identify with, hopefully feel less alone, but by introducing julia to her friends on the set, on sesame street, we are able to raise awareness, to raise and increase understanding and to model inclusion. So when big bird tries to meet julia and she is a little less responsive, abby is able to explain that just because julia may not show it in the same way, she still wants to be your friend, she still wants to play, she still wants to be included just like all children. Feedbackonal note, the from the Autism Community is really what makes this work so very rewarding. One of my very favorite stories came from a mother who had a young daughter with autism and she used to that wonderful book, see amazing to explain to her daughter that like julia, she too had autism and she responded. So i am amazing too, right . Think that we from all of these wonderful stories, there are so many of them, we know anecdotally that we are making a difference, but i am so pleased today because today we have research to support that. There grateful to have opportunity to share this with you, to bring together a panel of distinguished experts that we will get together a little later, including researchers who looked at the impact of this work. The hope that will be a very important discussion around an issue that really does touch so many of us. Today especially honored to have a congressman mike doyle with us from the great state of pennsylvania and congressman doyle is serving his 12 term of congress. House energythe and Commerce Committee and is the ranking democratic member on the communications and technology subcommittee. Most important to those on in this room is that it was congressman doyle, along with congressman smith from new jersey founded the coalition for Autism Research and education, otherwise known as care and it is the first Congressional Membership Organization donated to autism advocacy on capitol hill. This was in 2001, i think. Are 117e were members of the bipartisan autism caucus, which congressman doyle still coaches here. For your grateful leadership on this issue and especially that you would take time to be here with us today. So congressman doyle. [applause] good morning. This is really an exciting day and i am pleased to be here. When chris smith and i got together to falling form the autism caucus, our objective was to educate other members of congress about autism spectrum disorder. Every few years, we know we need to get back to basics about what ast looks like and what we can do to reach out to our friends and neighbors who live with it every day. That is why it is so important about julia and the initiative that is been taking on taken on by sesame street. At its heart, it is taking our shared goal of education and taking information out to the widest and most important audience out there, young kids and their parents. Hennounced sesame streets Amazing Initiative in october of 2015 right here. It is exciting to see julia just one year later. Made to provide resources to families and caregivers around the country to educate them about autism. It also includes online guides and tools to help families touched by autism, overcome common challenges like brushing teeth, crossing the street, going to the supermarket. The panelists that you will meet here are going to be able to see to how effective the Amazing Campaign has been. I am going to turn it over to them, but i want to say i am honored to be part of this journey and an excited to get to know julia, can represent all of the amazing kids we know with autism. Have a great day here. [applause] thank you so much, congressman doyle. Now i am going to turn this over so we can get to our moderat or. Probably best known as an accomplished actors from 21 jump street, hanging mr. Cooper, and i think perhaps her most valuable role has been that of philanthropist and advocate. After her father was diagnosed with parkinsons and her son with autism, she and her husband rodney pete started the holly rod foundation, dedicated to hope to families living with parkinsons and autism. Her personal experience and the significant contribution she has made to the Autism Community make her an ideal moderator or todays event, but it is also worth noting that holly has a special connection to sesame street. In 1969, when sesame street first launched, her father was gordon. First and she even appeared on the show. It is great to have you here, welcome back. [applause] well, thank you. Thank you everyone who had anything to do with bringing julia to us. This is such an amazing moment. As sherry mentioned, it is a full circle moment for me. Briefly, back in 1969, i was five years old and my dad came home. Just got this great new gig and it is going to be in new york. I will commute back and forth. It is a childrens show. It takes place on your block and there are kids of all colors. I was like, good luck with that, maybe it will last. [laughter] nearly 50 years later, here i am, moderate miss monitoring. Moderating this panel i have a son who is the love of my life. Changes say i wouldnt my son for the world, but i would like to change the world for my son. Anyone touched by oz is an can relate to that. Autism can relate to that. The fact there is a muppet who has autism, that is a game changer in the Autism Community. I am absolutely thrilled to be here and i think everyone at Sesame Workshop and sesame street for approaching this in a , as ant is so authentic autism mom, this is something that is really helpful and for those of you who are not touched by autism, this is a wonderful way to educate you as well. Has a history of featuring and celebrating children of all different abilities and now, with this new see amazing in all children initiative, they are showing how amazing kids with autism truly are. Understandingtter about autism through the beloved sesame street friends makes it all the more accessible and it is all part of sesame street magic. Did somebody say magic . Goodness, it is abby, my favorite fairy. High, everyone. [applause] fairy, ms. Honorary holly. I am so glad you are here, abby. Come because io want to introduce everybody to julia. She is my new friend. She has autism and she is amazing. I bet she is and we cannot wait to meet her. Well, i tell you we do all kinds of stuff together. We like to play games and we seeing. Boy, can julia same. Sing. She is a good painter too. I bet. I heard a lot of your friends didnt understand julia at first . But it didnte, take long for them to see how amazing she is. We actually have a clip of the first time that big bird met julia. Should we show that . You have that . Yes. Should we show them . Great idea,hat is a miss holly. Right now here is your snake week. [begin video] high. Hey, welcome to sesame street. We are having fun with finger paint will stop highguys. Hi, abby. I elmo. Whos this . That is julia. Hi julia. Im big bird. Nice to meet you. Julia . Julia is just concentrating on her painting right now. Julia, you are doing a good job. Big bird i dont think julia likes me very much. You are just meeting for the first time. Bird oh, so she is shy. I get that. I feel shy sometimes, too. That, too. Not just she has autism. Bird autism . What is autism . For julio, it means she might not answer you write away. And she might not do what you expect, like to view a high five. Yes. She does things just a little differently and that julia sort of way. Big bird oh, ok. Exit and she is a lot of fun. , too. Ves to play play, play, lay. [giggling] do you want to play now, julia . Thanks lay, play, play. It bird can i play . What should we play . It bird how about tag . I think that is a yes. Ms. Holly . Ms. Holly yes, miss abbey. Do you want to meet julie . I have been wanting to meet her for a long time. Can come outyou now. There she is [giggling] hollow, julia. Abby she might not say hello our answer right away. But she likes to jump when she is happy. Excited, excited we are also so excited that you are here because we are further much about you, julia. We would love to learn more about you. Tell us something to like to do. Abby as you can see, she loves her little bunny. Webster. To wet pet he looks so cuddly and soft. I can see why you would like lets start. Meet friends. S to julia, who are some of your friends. Julia friends . Elmo. He is everybodys friend. Julia big bird. Abby. And you know what . We like to play tag. [giggling] we have a lot in common. I see you have a lot in common that you are a lot different. At yes. Elmo is a monster, big bird is a bird, you are a pretty lady. Thank you. We are all friends. I am so glad you are friends. Thank you so much for being here today. I am so starstruck right now you do not even understand. Abby you are so sweet, ms. Holly. Air kisses on the other side, i am from l. A. Me and julia are going to go play while you tell the story of your life. Play, play, play. You are a amazing, abby. And julia, you are amazing. Thank you for being here. Julia thank you. [applause] well. Can i just add a superduper relevant . Y that is you mentioned i was on sesame street. I had one appears. My father did not want me to be on because he did not want me to be a showbiz kid. You can see how that turned out. I let me come on one time and just kept saying hi, gorgeous. One day maybe i will get to make up for that. I am still not over a 30 something years later. I am excited to introduce october no anthony, the leader of the Research Team whose work brings us together here today. Dr. Anthony is the Deputy Director of the center for child and Human Development and the vice chair of pediatrics at university. His Research Interests range from Childrens Mental Health services to Development Psychopathology to autism and sexual disorders. He received a National Institute of Mental HealthCareer Development award and Mental Health services and since that time he is focused on interventions with children with behavioral and health and developmental challenges. We are glad he is here to present his preliminary finding regarding sesame street and autism. He is amazing. Dr. Anthony. [applause] dr. Anthony thank you, holly. It is hard to follow julia and abby but i will try. I am really proud to have been involved with working with sesame street on the evaluation of this Important Initiative and i want to recognize the hard work of my colleagues, many of them who are in the audience today from the Georgetown Center for Childhood Development and are really great collaborators at the Childrens National health system. In this evaluation was threefold. We wanted to know, how do parents feel about the website and materials indents presentation and wasnt useful . Second, we wanted to know if exposure to the materials increased knowledge and acceptance of asd. We also wanted to know if ewing materials led to an increase in hopefulness for parents of asd children and terms of greater and gauge met with the community and feelings of increased parenting competence and less parenting strain. So, this slide shows outlines of the general procedures of the study. First of all, we really want to appreciate the more than 1000 parents of asd children and nonasd children who participated in this evaluation. Of those 1000 who completed the this work end all of was to run Online Survey about half completed the follow up one week later and almost 200 parents of asd children completed the onemonth followup. So here is goal one. Reactions to the website content. Overwhelmingly, parents view the website as an engaging, informative, and useful. This graph shows a High Percentage of parents who agree made facts accessible, provided a better understanding of autism they had before and almost 90 of parents thought they would recommend this site to parents of asd children. Also, although each component of the website was rated as highly generalg, parents in found the routine cards most helpful. Designed tords foster positive child behaviors by teaching parents how to simplify the everyday activity to help children manage common situations that could be challenging. For all children, but especially for asd children. Quote from we elicited comments from parents, and this is one quote that really points out the creative theseat parents used materials. This parent used the card, putting it on a poster board. Parents also reported they really enjoyed the videos for asd children and their families. You can see from this quote the videos created greater acceptance and another child about his friend. A sixyearold nephew. Again, these comments were really quite informative besides the actual data. But here is that sorry that is the there we go. Ok, sorry. So now the amazing, amazing results we have been able to compile. Were of all, what changes seen in parents of nonasd children. So, we looked at two things. Knowledge and acceptance. To gauge knowledge, we had parents answer questions about asd link to content. It asked about things that can often be more difficult for asd children as well as popular autism. Out except we also wanted to know about acceptance of parents watched a short video and then answered a question that assess the level of comfort they would have if they were interacting with the child and meet video. The questions were like, the child in the video makes me uneasy or the child in the video are differentthey than others. You can see that parents of nonasd children showed significant increases in their knowledge about asd but more partly, their feelings of acceptance of asd children. At the children showed half of the childrens parents showed increases in these measures. Now, these slides shows some of the