Sesame Street A is for Asthma / A es para asma

Click here to visit the Sesame Street website.

Sesame Street A is for Asthma, an educational program in English and Spanish funded by the Prudential Foundation. Childhood asthma is a serious, increasingly common condition. Now children, and the adults who care for them, can learn to manage it thanks to the clear, simple and catchy messages in this lively bilingual video starring Elmo, Rosita, and other Sesame Street friends.

Asthma affects one in every 14 children, so everyone - children and adults - needs to be aware of it. That's why the American Lung Association has developed a lively video featuring Sesame Street characters Elmo, Rosita, Luis, plus a new Muppet friend, Dani.

Dani has asthma, and children watching the video will learn more about his condition as the Muppets sing, dance, and talk about Dani's needs. Youngsters will also find out how to help when someone has trouble breathing.

Sesame Street A is for Asthma video (15 minutes in English followed by 15 minutes in Spanish), and Caregivers Guide will help you create greater awareness about asthma. It will teach youngsters about asthma with the help of Sesame Street characters and help you learn more about asthma yourself. It will bring about small changes in the school that will help to make children with asthma more comfortable and help to form a partnership with families to share important information. Also, it will help to soothe kids' fears and misconceptions by reinforcing the information simply and calmly.

In the workshop, daycare providers, preschool teachers and parents will learn how to teach young children about asthma with the help of familiar Sesame Street characters. Participants will receive an A is for Asthma kit.

The goal of the Sesame Street A is for Asthma program is to build public awareness of childhood asthma in preschoolers 3-6 years of age and to provide support to their families and health and child-care providers. The caregiver guide contains valuable and timely information with tips for teaching all children about asthma and simple guidelines for making the child-care facility asthma safe, along with activities and take-home information for families. Also included in the kit is a colorful poster featuring the Sesame Street characters and Dani enacting the Asthma Action Plan for preschoolers.

The workshop is part of a nationwide, bilingual, multimedia childhood asthma awareness project designed by Children's Television Workshop with technical information provided by the American Lung Association, and made possible by a $1.5 million grant from The Prudential Foundation.

Asthma is a serious chronic illness - which means it does not go away, even when a child is not showing symptoms. However, the good news is that asthma can be managed and that people who have it can lead active lives.