Autism and Classical Myth: December 2022

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.

Monday 12 December 2022

On 'opening up a world' of autism and classical myth at Bristol University on 29 November 2022

I'm still planning to blog further about 'revisiting Arkadia' - though this will have to be extended to 'autumn AND WINTER' rather than just 'autumn' as I'd envisaged back in October before quite a few things came up - all pressing and all linked in some way with autism and classical myth :)

For now, let me share information about one of these things: a visit to Bristol University - my first in my new role as Honorary Professor.

I spent an intense hour-plus talking about autism and classical mythology. I'm expecting to be able to send a link to the recording of the event soon, but in the meantime, here is the accompanying image from the booking site:

Choice of Hercules chimneypiece panel in the Adam Room,
Roehampton, London redrawn and coloured by Steve K. Simons

And here is the 'blurb':

Professor Susan Deacy (Roehampton/Bristol): ‘“Opening up a world...”: how and why classical myth resonates with being autistic'

Abstract: Since 2008—and especially over the past six years—I have been making experiential applications of classical myth for autistic children. This paper will share details of the project, including the models of autism I am following and the point I have reached to date. In particular I shall talk about the publication, due later this year, of my book of lessons based around Hercules and the conclusion of the ERC-funded Our Mythical Childhood...The Reception of Classical Antiquity in Children’s and Young Adults’ Culture in Response to Regional and Global Challenges, for which I am the Roehampton Principal Investigator. The quotation in this paper’s title will be explained and there will be an opportunity—entirely optional!—to try out some of the activities. I shall also share my plans for future activities, starting with a set based on Medusa before moving to mythologies from other cultures, including Wales.

And here's the link to the booking site.

More soon... I'm hoping that the recording will include the zoom chat which was extremely engaged.