Autism and Classical Myth: Getting ready to arrive somewhere new for an autistic take on classical myth in London

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.

Wednesday 19 April 2023

Getting ready to arrive somewhere new for an autistic take on classical myth in London

Here's a very quick posting while I get ready to leave for London - to head to the London base of the University of Notre Dame near Trafalgar Square to teach students currently taking a module on classical myth in London.

I'll be talking about the (SW) London focus of the Hercules-focused lessons for autistic young people that I have designed and among the activities I'm planning for the students is a discussion of what it can feel like to arrive someone new.

As I prepare, I'm myself gearing myself up to a new experience. I've never been to the University before and will be meeting the students for the first time - though their tutor is a friend, former colleague and fellow ACCLAIM member, Tony Keen, who I've known for many years - since 1993 I think...

More soon (I anticipate!)