How to “hug” a Child With Autism
This is Autism Awareness Month, and in its honor, Sesame Street shows us how to better support children with autism. They released several new short videos featuring Julia, the first character on the series with autism.
In the video above, Julia and her neurotypical older brother Samuel teach Abby a new hug since Julia doesn’t like hugs. Some people with autism are highly sensitive to touch, so hugging can be overwhelming. Julia prefers a “starfish hug”: you and the other person raise your hand, spread your fingers like a starfish, and touch your fingertips.
For children with autism or sensory problems, you can suggest hugging a starfish or creating your own type of hug. Chicken hug? (Put your elbows together and swing like a chicken.) A turtle hug? (Each of you makes a “turtle shell” with a fist and then rubs the shells against each other.) The best thing to do is just ask the child what he is comfortable with (or the parent if he cannot verbally express his preferences).
According to the Sesame Street initiative, Sesame Street and Autism: Seeing the Amazing in All Children in the United States, 1 in 68 children are diagnosed with autism (ASD). The website states: “While it is true that there can be significant differences between people with autism and their peers, all children want the same thing: to feel safe, happy and loved.”