Understanding Children Drawings by Cathy Malchiodi - Book Report/Review Example

Understanding Childrens Drawings Understanding Children’s Drawings by Cathy A. Malchiodi gives a deep insight into the inner world of children by giving plenty of useful suggestions necessary for entering the world of mind. It is a very helpful resource for understanding the symbolism associated with the drawing process of children. The author of this book has been working as an art educator, art therapist and clinical counselor and during this process she discovered that children’s drawings offer therapists a powerful tool for understanding children’s thoughts, feelings and emotions. This book provides its audience with a means of taking a glimpse into the mind world of children. Where words do not suffice, lines and dots do! Children utilize drawings as a method of giving meanings to their ideas and observations. As the writer states, “art expressions are uniquely personal statements, that have elements of both conscious and unconscious meaning in them and can be representative of many different aspects of the children who create them”. The writer argues that if we are to understand the various physiological or pathological states of mind, the drawings can provide a means of understanding the underlying physiological or pathological processes. Not only this, but many social factors which affect the minds of children can also be traced back by the study of drawings of children who have been subjected to social or criminal incidents. The implications of drawings in psychological practice are discussed in detail in this book with special emphasis on history and practical applications of a number of tests which have been developed over time by a number of eminent workers in the field of mind sciences. It is argued that the various elements of these drawings in which subjects are told to draw a particular object or a group of objects correspond to a number of elements in real life. However, at the same time, the writer warns about the limitations of use of drawings as a means of diagnosing the various pathologies by citing Goodenough’s words that “the facts herein reported by no means intended to convey the impression that the writer is able to diagnose psychopathic tendencies in children by means of drawing. No such claim is justified”. In my view, the writer has in this way maintained a balance between thesis and anti-thesis, as no final words can be said about a particular drawing, no matter how qualified the person is. The drawings are merely a tool of assisting in diagnosis along with plenty of other tools which are available in psychological practice. The writer has explained in details the process of working with children during art therapy sessions. The process of translating drawings into narratives is discussed. How personal beliefs about children alter this process, the comparison between ‘talking to children’ and ‘drawings’, how to look for clues to make sense of drawings, how to deal with the tendency to refrain from drawing and the response of children towards sexual and other abuses is discussed to the extent of satisfaction in this book. Due consideration is given to that aspect of this specialty which deals with the diagnosis of various ailments of children. The findings seen in the drawings of ill children of various ages suffering from different diseases are discussed in details. This gives a deep insight into the ways in which illness is perceived by children. The factors associated with illness and the emotional and physical trauma that is perceived by children undergoing treatment, if translated into drawings can guide a practicing physician in making individualized plans for such children to minimize the negative impact on child’s personality. A child’s understanding of the disease and the chosen therapeutic method whether acceptable for the child or not can all be interpreted from the child’s drawing. This in turn may alter the course of the treatment plan and in turn the disease process itself. Realizing the fact that those children, who are physically or mentally ill, deserve special consideration, the writer of the book has discussed such cases separately, emphasizing the need to understand and consider such cases as special ones. The usual methods of investigation in such cases have to be modified to suit the needs of such children. Similar is the case in interpretation of the meanings of drawings. In the end, the writer draws attention towards the importance of intellectual right of children’s work. The writer’s words “the idea that the subjects of ethics and children’s drawings are connected may surprise some therapists who use art activities as part of their work with children”, point towards the fact that the vast majority of therapists in this field fail to recognize that the art work created by children is in fact the ownership of the creator and handling such work with care is the responsibility of a therapist. Since, “deeply emotional content, untold family problems and heart-wrenching stories” are depicted in these drawings, each drawing requires serious ethical consideration before it is presented to others for discussion or teaching purposes. Overall the book is an excellent resource for those who are willing to learn about theoretical and practical aspects of art therapy in relation to children. The book provides a wealth of knowledge by providing multiple references to the most authentic texts available in this field. The writer has adopted a multidimensional approach which clearly demonstrates how therapists can practically apply this knowledge to enhance their working experience and increase the magnitude of yield of their clinical practice. To maintain balance between arguments, the writer at various places throughout the text, quotes differences of opinions, before giving his own opinion. It is for this reason that a very balanced approach to different clinical scenarios is developed by the reader of the book. In the end, the discussion about the various ethical aspects about the drawings of children, in which the intellectual copy rights of the children are focused upon, adds to the completeness of the text, which other texts of this nature lack in most of the cases. References MALCHIODI, C. A. (1998). Understanding childrens drawings. New York, Guilford Press. Read More