Background
Just as activities 4 and 5
complement one another, so to do activities 6 and 7. In the previous pair of
activities, Hercules encountered two distinct sets of objects. Here he encounters
two distinct women, each of which is linked with one of the sets of objects. There
can be flexibility over the order in which Hercules encounters the women. In
the version of the choice in Prodicus, it is the figure on our right who first
addresses Hercules. So, let us start here as well.
I did briefly consider introducing
the woman before the objects – so that first these women say who and what they
are and then they offer the gifts to seek to persuade the hero to choose the path
in life that is commensurate with themselves. In keeping with the
flexibility I have kept stressing for these activities, the facilitator can
organise the activities the other way around if this will be more suitable with
their students. However, because one of the particular challenges that autistic
people often experience is around communicating with others, not least in new,
unexpected scenarios,[1] it seems more appropriate to build up the encounters
with actual people.
‘Pleasure,’ the name I have
adopted for the woman is one of the names given to her, not least in the
eighteenth century, when the artwork on which these activities centre was
produced. The facilitator could, instead, opt for one of the other names given
to the woman, such as ‘Vice’, especially the facilitator would like to open up
a moral dimension that would be suitable for the cohort with which they are
working: how to effect this is something that I plan to discuss when I consult
with teachers and other professionals.
The Activity
The facilitator should direct
the users to a new addition to the right half of the scene. This is a woman –
or perhaps a goddess (this might be something to discuss with those students interested
in classical deities and personifications and what their relation is to mortal
mythological figures). She is sitting down – on the big flat rock which now
serves as an ideal seat for her she is also under the canopy. The baskets of
fruit are now at her feet.
The facilitator then asks
the children to colour the woman in, getting them to pick colours that are
suitable to this side of the landscape – so ideally they would pick bright
colours, and though the children could be free to choose if the facilitator
prefers. As with other colouring in activities, this can be a team activity, or
each child could each be given their own copy of the picture of the woman. If
the revealed breast of the woman is an issue, then the drawing can be modified –
this issue of nudity is something that I intend to address when I seek feedback
on this current initial draft).
Next, the facilitator
encourages the children to copy the woman’s pose. They should sit like she is
sitting and try to copy her gaze. The facilitator next gets the children to
copy the stature and the gestures of Hercules.
Then, to help deal with the
challenge often experienced by autistic people of relating appropriately to
other people, a follow-up task could be to divide the children into pairs of
Hercules and Pleasure. The children could be encouraged to pay particular attention
to the body language of each figure: How is the woman responding to Hercules?
What is she doing with her arms, and with her body, her face, and her eyes? Meanwhile,
as for Hercules, what is he doing with his body (away from the woman).
Encourage the children to consider where his gaze is directed.
After this, the facilitator
asks: how is Hercules feeling? As previously, the children could be asked to
name relevant words, or the facilitator could provide a prepared set from which
they pick. Or, as previously, emojis can be used, not least for students who
are non-verbal.
Then, in order to help deal with
the challenge often experienced by autistic people of recognising the potential
for different perspectives on a given issue, the students should the same activity
but for the woman, by considering how she is feeling about her surroundings and
about Hercules.
For those who will be able
to engage with it, the facilitator might – now – introduce the relevant stage
of the story where Hercules encounters Pleasure. The story could be summarised,
or read out from one of the existing versions, ancient or modern. This will
introduce the students to what it is that the woman says to Hercules and what gifts
she offers him. I am planning a worksheet that will contain this material,
along with notes for how to use it.
After this, to encourage
flexible thinking, the children could be asked again to talk about how Hercules
might be feeling – again with emojis or a prepared set of words as appropriate.
Perhaps the feelings that are listed will be different from those given
earlier.
This could be followed up
with further activities involving Hercules and Pleasure. For example, Pleasure
might offer Hercules a flower, or a piece of fruit – even a whole basket. The facilitator
should note what, according to the children, Hercules does in response– or what
the children do if they are playing with the various objects in the classroom?
Does he accept the gift? Does he eat it? Does he refuse it?
Then the students will
likely need a break before turning to the next activity, where Hercules
encounters another, very different, woman. This encounter will form the subject
of the next, penultimate, activity. This will be the subject of my next
posting.
[1] Difficulties
in all aspects of communication, is one of the “triad of impairments”
identified by Lorna Wing (the others being: difficulties in social and
emotional understanding, and a lack of flexibility in thinking and behaviour). See,
esp., Lorna Wing, “Autistic Spectrum Disorders,” 312.7027
( The
Autistic Spectrum: a Guide for Parents and Professionals (London: Robinson 2002, updated edn.). In the most recent edition of the
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of
Mental Disorders (DSM–5), one of the categories of autism
spectrum disorders is, likewise “communication problems.” Another category, to
which this activity also responds, is “difficulty relating to people, things
and events” (a further one is “repetitive body movements or behaviors”), American Psychiatric Association, Diagnosticand Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM–5)
(2013) (last accessed 31.07.17).
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