Sesame Place, the first theme park in the world designated as a Certified Autism Center, is celebrating Autism Acceptance Month throughout April and May with limited-time giveaways and an exclusive in-park event dedicated to autistic children and their families.
Throughout April, guests can visit the Welcome Center to receive a free Sesame Street storybook dedicated to showing that all children — autistic and neurotypical alike — are amazing in their own ways. The titles include Family Forever: A Julia Storybook, Circle of Friends: A Julia Storybook, A Little Bit Different, A Little Bit the Same and We’re Amazing: 1,2,3!. Storybooks will be available on operating days through Sunday, April 30, or while supplies last.
In addition, Julia will be available for meet & greets throughout April. Julia is a four-year-old autistic Muppet from Sesame Street and the face of Sesame Workshop’s Sesame Street and Autism: Seeing Amazing in All Children initiative. As part of the initiative, new resources were released that center around belonging and artistic expression, including two new videos featuring Julia and her Sesame Street friends (“Princess Paint A Lot” and “Julia’s Needed”), a new storybook celebrating teamwork and belonging called Julia and the Super-Sunny Celebration, and three new printable pages to encourage children’s creativity by prompting them to create a self-portrait and inserting themselves into different scenes.
Julia was first introduced as a meet & greet character at Sesame Place in 2017 and received an overwhelmingly positive response and continued to become a permanent member of the Sesame Place family.
Following Autism Acceptance Month, Sesame Place is hosting its annual Variety Club event on Friday, May 12, in collaboration with Variety – The Children’s Charity of the Delaware Valley. Sesame Place has partnered with Variety since 1987, providing children with autism and the differently abled a fun day at the park.
For the event, Sesame Place officials will have special accommodations for autistic children, including designated quiet areas, low-sensory shows and volume adjustments throughout the park to ensure every child has a memorable and enjoyable experience. For admission, guests must register with Variety Club at rsvp@varietyphila.org.
In honor of Autism Acceptance Month, Sesame Place is posting a video this month summarizing its accommodations for autistic and differently abled individuals, the first in a “Know Before You Go” series, to help guests plan their visits accordingly.
In 2018, Sesame Place partnered with the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards and received the distinction of Certified Autism Center — the first theme park in the world to do so. In March 2022, Sesame Place San Diego opened as a CAC, and Sesame Place Philadelphia announced its recertification.
The certification requires ongoing, specialized training for Ambassadors, focusing on sensory awareness, motor skills, program development, communication and emotional awareness. This allows the park to be better equipped to serve autistic individuals and those with other special needs, creating enjoyable and memorable experiences for all guests.
As a CAC, the park offers services and facilities available for autistic and differently abled guests. This includes robust pre-planning resources online, sensory guides developed by IBCCES and the Ride Accessibility Program. Guests in need of quiet time and relief from sensory stimulation can utilize the park’s quiet room and complimentary noise-canceling headphones provided for single-day use. Guests can find IBCCES’ sensory guides, information about the Ride Accessibility Program and other resources at sesameplace.com/philadelphia/help/autism-resources/.
Additionally, earlier this year, all full-time staff and security at Sesame Place Philadelphia completed Blue Bridge Training for first responders. This training offered a comprehensive presentation on how autistic behaviors are directly affected by sensory and communication challenges, giving Ambassadors further insight and tools for emotional de-escalation and improved communication.
