Autism and Classical Myth: Announcing a course on classical myth and a guest post on Myth and Mystery

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.

Saturday, 3 May 2025

Announcing a course on classical myth and a guest post on Myth and Mystery

This month and next, I shall be teaching a weekly, Wednesday evening UK time, course on classical myth for the Hellenic and Roman Societies!

Here, we will think about what myths are (and are not) and about what they do. We will consider the gods and their worlds. We will think about the people who told, and heard, the stories. We will discuss the ways in which classical myths were - and still are - communicated.

It's an online course. All readers of this blog are welcome! I plan to mention the topic of this blog regularly. Indeed, as myth and autism for me are interconnected, the whole course has a neurodivergent focus.

More will follow in a future post about this forthcoming book.
But for now, here is the cover - which conveys the spirit of the course I shall begin teaching next week!

Indeed, I talk about my journey though myth and autism in a guest post for the wonderful Myth and Mystery Substrack site.

Here is a snippet to whet your appetite. I've loved writing it - and I think that comes across!

Today I am delighted to share the story of Susan Deacy, one of the most brilliant people working on and with ancient myth, as a special guest post. Susan is an extraordinary person and I know no one else whose work has made such an impact relating ancient wisdom to the modern world. For decades she has worked with children and young people (especially neurodivergent people) using Greek and Roman mythology. It’s truly an honour to be able to share her fascinating work with you all.

When I first visited this Substack site, and saw the opening quote from Einstein, something clicked. It felt like the kind of place that would appeal to me, and I’m thrilled to have the chance to share a few words about my own interests and work, all of which are rooted in the mysterious world of myth.