April is Autism Awareness Month and PBS Kids is launching three new episodes of popular kids’ series devoted to characters with autism.
Families can tune in for Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, Hero Elementary, and Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum for inclusive characters and heartwarming stories.
Kicking off on March 29, PBS Kids will release a week of new episodes of the stand-out superhero show Hero Elementary. On World Autism Awareness Day, April 2, a special half-hour episode titled “AJ’s Extra Superpower” will air. When the Sparks Crew discovers that a neighbor’s dog is stealing toys from a little girl, they must find a way to keep the dog out. The key is AJ’s “extra superpower:” his autism!
Starting on Monday, April 5, a week of new Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood will kick off with a special episode that introduces a new friend, Max, with an Autism Spectrum Disorder. Max will join Daniel and his friends in a bunch of fun activities. Israel Thomas-Bruce, a 13-year-old diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder when he was 4 years old, will voice Max.
A new episode of Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum, titled “I am Temple Grandin,” will air on April 5. The series is based on Brad Meltzer’s Ordinary People Change the World books that depict Xavier and his sister Yadina traveling to the past to meet all sorts of historical figures. This episode will feature Yadina as she struggles to make friends with a new boy in her class due to his unique way of experiencing exhibits in the museum. Yadina then gets sent back in time to have a playdate with Temple Gradin and she is amazed at Temple’s approach to activities, learning that it’s great when people think and do things differently.
Help your kids learn about autism awareness with new episodes of these PBS Kids series.
