This article presents a modified version of the bridge drawing assessment administered to a substance use disorder population at admission and discharge from a residential addiction treatment center. Following an overview of the bridge drawing assessment and method, the authors present two case descriptions that illustrate how the modified task…

In this article I discuss the benefits of using road drawings in art therapy for the specialized treatment needs of women in a gender-specific residential substance use treatment center. Gender differences in substance use treatment are explained and the benefits of using art therapy in the treatment of substance use disorders are reviewed. The…

The purpose of this study was to explore the anxiety and stress-reducing effects of drawing, using different drawing materials by promoting the development of student confidence. The drawing activities were designed to foster the exploration of identity, emotion, and sense of self, while encouraging the exploration of materials and mark making.…

This case study illustrates how parents can help their children cope with the fear and pain of surgery by engaging them in expressive drawing. As part of a parenting class that utilized art therapy techniques, a father shared his 6-year-old son's spontaneous drawings that had been created directly before and after surgery. Through guidance by the…

A case study illustrates how art therapy was used to elicit the narrative of an adolescent male student in transition from incarceration to a transfer school setting. Childhood trauma was addressed in individual sessions and within a literacy group co-led by a reading specialist. The art therapist responded to the client's needs by broadening the…

Discusses a program designed for a multiethnic classroom setting that uses drawing and storytelling to help immigrant and refugee children build bridges between the past and the future by attaching meaning to experience. Results show that the three themes found in the children's work -- family, friends, and myths -- are factors that can protect…

Presents case studies of two children of four and five years who had experienced sexual abuse. Discusses the significance of their drawings in relation to the uncovering and treating of the trauma of sexual abuse. (RJC)

Presents a series of pictures drawn by an autistic adult over a period of years. The pictures represent recollections of a day in his childhood. This representation is notable because of its consistent theme, as well as its reflection of the ability to reexperience and enjoy pleasant past memories. (MJP)

Reviews two long-term case studies examining the art produced by two artistically gifted Down Syndrome patients. Their work shows a unique personal style characterized by flat, nonperspective compositions, canonical and mixed profile shapes, and symmetry. Both artists depict androgynous persons in their untutored drawings. Includes drawing samples…

Reviews the work of neurobiologist, David Marr, concerning artistic ability and autism. Summarizes Marr's theory of perceptual vision illuminating the relationships among object, observer, perceptual process, and image. Briefly reviews the cases of four autistic people with extraordinary drawing skills. (MJP)