Sesame Street and Autism: Siblings

I featured the Sesame Street and Autism initiative in my first entry on this blog. But I've decided to focus some more on other videos in the initiative.

In this post, I'm focusing on the sibling relationships featured on that initiative.

Alyssa, Jazlyn and Yesenia
These three sisters are featured in several videos. Yesenia is autistic and communicates through a few signs. In this video, her sisters explain how she communicates:

Alyssa, the eldest, explained autism to her classmates when she was 10. Also note the slogans behind her - I can see "autistic people are really good hard working people", a sign turning 'autism' into an acronym "Always Unique, Totally Interesting, Sometimes Mysterious", and another one saying "if you think I'm puzzling, imagine what the world is like for me".

This last video is a typical day for their family, narrated by Jazlyn, the middle child. Note the obvious affection for her sister, and the understanding she shows of how her sister feels and expresses emotions - both good and bad.

Angelina, AJ and Garrett 
Angelina and her younger autistic twin brothers are featured in one video. AJ is learning to talk, and Garrett is using a tablet with what I'm guessing is Proloquo2Go, from the look of the icons. Garrett can also read at a first grade level, even though he's only four. (It's unclear from the video, but it sounds like AJ might be reading too?) I especially like how much fun they all seem to be having, and how proud Angelina is of her brothers. AJ also made me smile when he echoed Grover telling Angelina she has nice brothers - I know how great it feels to overhear someone complimenting you to a family member!