It is now common knowledge that some individuals with a diagnosis of AS (Autism Syndrome) or PDD-NOS (Pervasive Developmental Disorder, not otherwise specified) are exceptionally gifted. Stephen Wiltshire whom I mentionned in a previous posting is one of these. Though many AS children are quite capable drawers from an early age, many tend to focus on parts rather than the whole. The ability [...]
Tag Archives: drawing
Drawing to know
Milton Glaser a well known designer, speaks of drawing as consciousness: « a fundamental way of knowing the world ». I use observational drawing with some clients as a way to help them really see what is around them, to grasp what is actually there. Some fears, anxieties, eating disorders for example, stem in part from a distorted sense [...]
Bridge drawing to assess psychosis
A recent article (in press) in The Arts in Psychotherapy discusses new research on drawing indicators. A small sample of drawings from in patients (n=34), out patients (n=26) and comparison group (n=29) were contrasted to establish the validity of certain formal drawing characteristics as indicators of psychotic features. Patients in the study were all diagnosed with illnesses that involved psychotic episodes [...]
Drawing out symptoms
Cathy Malchiodi which I’ve spoken about a number of times here, writes a review of the benefits of drawing on symptoms of trauma. She lists the following partial benefits: 1) Drawing taps implicit memory. Trauma and drawing are largely sensory experiences; drawing pictures about aspects of « what happened » prompts sensory memories of traumatic events. 2) Drawing actively [...]
