Meet the Characters!

Where does the name "Aiko & Egor" come from?

Aiko is named after a young girl that the See Beneath confounders began to work with at UCSD when she was 16 months old.  She used to carry around her favorite purple whale toy!

Egor was the first word of another child with autism that the See Beneath cofounders worked with at UCSD beginning at 14 months of age.

Aiko: She’s a talkative purple whale who loves to play with her best friend Egor and explore the ocean. She plays the “kid role” in the video. Children can imitate Aiko to learn new skills. She loves to learn, play with toys, and make new friends.

Egor: He’s a bashful yet excitable orange blowfish who help Aiko learn new skills. He plays the teacher, parent, grandparent, caregiver, or sibling role by sometimes giving Aiko commands and exploring the ocean with her. Sometimes when he gets excited, he inflates and floats away like a balloon.

Wade: This recurring character is a favorite of many fans of the video series. He’s a playful green seahorse and is sometimes referred to as the “cool” kid. He lives on the coral corral with his many seahorse siblings. He joins Aiko & Egor to learn about colors, playing, and he’s a great older brother.

Pepper: He’s an Elvis-like Penguin who sings songs with Aiko & Egor. Gesture imitation accompanies the songs to help get kids ready for singing with their friends at school.

Pinky: He’s a sleepy Panda who Aiko & Egor meet while exploring the ocean. They play a fun imitation game together and are instant friends with each other.

Fran & Tyler: Singing dinosaurs that engage in a really fun song where they make a Peanut Butter & Jelly sandwich while dancing and singing.

Peek-A-Boo: An enormous turtle who likes to play Peak-A-Boo with his friends Aiko & Egor. This gentle giant is loving and sweet and his scene is accompanied by a classic song edited for the world of Aiko & Egor.

Sea Monkeys: The sea monkeys are recurring characters that are used to teach shapes, emotions, and show kids how to wash their faces in the morning.

Mark & Betty: Mark & Betty are little action figures that Aiko & Egor use for pretend play. Betty has a baby referred to as “Big Baby” because her baby is a large baby doll.