Assessment of Drawing Age of Children in Early Childhood and Its Correlates

Abstract

Aim: The drawing ability of children develops parallel to their mental and physical development. The present study aims to investigate the compatibility of children’s drawings with their mental and physical development and variables affecting this compatibility in early childhood. Methods: Children between the ages 3 and 5 were asked to draw a human/child figure on a given sheet of paper and their drawings were analyzed. Results: 175 children were evaluated. The mean age was found to be 3.94 ± 0.81 and the mean drawing age was 3.42 ± 1.75. The drawing age was found to be statistically lower than the calendar age. It was found that children who had low birth weights, who did not go to kindergarten and who masturbated had lower drawing age. Low drawing age was not found to be related with psychological disorders. Discussion: Drawing can be utilized by mental health professionals as an important assessment tool for young children. Further studies with larger sample sizes are required to generalize. Keywords: Early Childhood, Drawing Age, Psychiatry Introduction