Children’s drawings can help with early detection of giftedness

(Image: Pixabay CC0) - Potential talents of children with characteristics of giftedness are not always seen in mainstream education. Children's drawings, however, can play a role in early detection of their needs and talents, argues psychologist Sven Mathijssen in his dissertation titled "Back to the drawing board: Potential indicators of giftedness in human figure drawings," which he defends on March 22, 2023 2:00 pm. Mathijssen's dissertation provides evidence for the possibility that human figure drawings can help in early identification of children whose talents might not fully flourish in mainstream education. Among other things, Mathijssen analyzed the drawings of 206 children ages 4 through 6. Two years after the drawings were made, parents were asked whether the children had had educational modifications. Based on the responses, two groups were created: children who had had enriched education and children who had received regular education. The statistical analyses showed that whether or not children drew "special characteristics" - characteristics that were drawn only or more often by the children who received enriched education - predicted about 70% well whether children received enriched education or regular education.