NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Kayle Concepts, Geek Club Books and Quality Services for the Autism Community (QSAC) announce the ‘Bluebee TeeVee’ project, an autism education initiative that provides webisodes designed to empower autistic children and educate their non-autistic peers.
Bluebee TeeVee will focus on friendship, bullying, communication, safety and other important autism-related topics.
Almost 70 percent of children with autism experience emotional trauma from being bullied, according to a study by Kennedy Krieger’s Interactive Autism Network. Information was collected from participants in 47 states, and the Institute has become the largest collection of autism data in the world.
“Schools are entering the era of the inclusion model, where all students, even those with disabilities, learn and participate in the classroom together,” said Jodi Murphy, founder of Geek Club Books, an autism charity. “There are still stigmas and the public’s lack of understanding surrounding autism. We’re working to end that through creative educational programs.”
Bluebee TeeVee will be written, performed and filmed by James Sullivan and Jonathan Murphy, two adults with Aspergers Syndrome who are working members of Geek Club Books.
“I can’t think of a better way for children to learn about autism than from those who are on the autism spectrum,” said Laura Jiencke, CEO of Kayle Concepts and creator of the Bluetooth®-enabled Bluebee Pals plush toy companions.
The project combines the mission of Geek Club Books with the established characters provided by the Bluebee Pal plush toy companions.
“Bluebee TeeVee is going to be a great way to captivate kids’ attention and make a human connection to autism,” said Murphy. “Think quirky Mr. Rogers with his Bluebee Pal sidekick having a friendly chat about autism.”
The New York City and Long Island-based nonprofit QSAC will act as content advisors for each script, and develop episode guides for parents and teachers.
“QSAC has a long and rewarding history of collaborating with others on the development of resources to support the autism community,” said Gary Maffei, QSAC’s Executive Director. “We are very pleased to be working with Kayle Concepts and Geek Club Books on Bluebee TeeVee and we’re confident it will be a valuable free educational video series for families affected by autism.”
Bluebee TeeVee webisodes will be released in fall 2015.
