Why classical myth and autism?

Why classical myth and autism?

The idea for this project started to take shape at a meeting in 2008 with a special needs teacher, who mentioned that, in her experience and those of her colleagues, autistic children often enjoy classical myth. I began to wonder why this might be the case, and whether – as a classicist who researches, and loves, classical myth – there was anything I could contribute. I started this blog to report on my progress which was often sporadic until the launch of the Warsaw-based European Research Council-funded project Our Mythical Childhood (2016-22) to trace the role of classics in children’s culture.

My key contribution to the project is an exploration of classics in autistic children’s culture, above all by producing myth-themed activities for autistic children. This blog shares my progress, often along Herculean paths, including to a book of lessons for autistic children focusing on the Choice of Hercules between two very different paths in life. The image above, illustrating the homepage of this blog, is one of the drawings by Steve K. Simons, the book's illustrator, of a chimneypiece panel in a neoclassical villa at Roehampton in South West London. The lessons centre on this panel.

Tuesday, 30 November 2021

Autism and classical myth: now on video...

As I've mentioned a few times this autumn, students I'm teaching for a module on classical myth are blogging as their assessment for the module. As I have written postings to date, I have done so with their assignments in mind including to give a flavour of what academic blogging can look like - while stressing that other blogs are available. 

The students also have an option of an another pathway - of creating a video diary. I've been meaning to share some videos of me talking, again to show how videoing *can* - not necessarily should - be done. And, now, by coincidence, colleagues at the Our Mythical Childhood project have created a YouTube channel for the Acclaim Network. It includes to date two videos where I'm talking, with more to follow. 

In the first that should come up by clicking the link, I'm zooming into a conference in Israel in June 2021 to talk about the lessons I was then completing for autistic children based around an episode involving Hercules facing a choice between two pathways. 


You will see me holding up objects including a statue, sharing a concern about filibustering myself, defending colouring-in activities, talking about emotions and autism, sharing what's happened when autistic children encounter Hercules, including via Disney, and talking - including in the screenshot above - about the object on which the lessons focus: a Choice of Hercules chimneypiece panel 5 minutes from my office in Grove House, Roehampton...

The other video is earlier - from several years back, in 2014, before I had become struck that the panel in Grove House might become a focus of the lessons for autistic children I was tentatively planning. I had already become deeply interested in the panel - and in the video I share that interest with Dr Anastasia Bakogianni of Classics Confidential.

More videos to follow - including of me zooming into events at Manchester Metropolitan University, King's College London and the University of Reading...


2 comments:

Adelaide Dupont said...

When I read this I thought ACCLAIM had their own YouTube channel.

The playlist so far is great.

Susan Deacy said...

Hi Adele, Thanks for the comment! Here's what I said in the posting about whose Channel it is:
"colleagues at the Our Mythical Childhood project have created a YouTube channel for the Acclaim Network"
Like our website, the YouTube videos, are kindly managed under the aegis of Our Mythical Childhood!
I hope this clarifies - and I'm glad you like the playlist - there's more that can follow soon...
Susan