Assessment • 129pre-figurative stage of development—a crude enclosure with rough indications of limbs and
features (B). When asked about his picture of himself (Figure 6.7), Jimmy explained: “The
legs got lost in the grass.” It was a poignant statement of how damaged he felt, for Jimmy’s
legs were indeed lifeless: he was able to move only in a wheelchair.
His picture of the clown, on the other hand, showed how bright he was, since it was a
superior human figure drawing for a child his age. The massive difference in the develop-
mental level of his self-portrait indicated not only Jimmy’s “body image” (Schilder, 1950),
but also his rage and helplessness about his disorganized physical state. The self-drawing is
particularly poignant in contrast to his choice of a clown, who can not only walk, but who
can also jump and hop—and perhaps even “fly” on a trapeze.
Rating Scales by Art Therapists
Before describing how art therapists conduct assessments using creative media, we will
note some of the work done by art therapist researchers in the development of rating
scales for both artwork and art behaviors.
Rating Scales for Art Products
Art therapists working in research settings often collaborate with other professionals
in developing more sensitive rating scales for spontaneous and directed art. The most
extensive early studies were done by Hanna Kwiatkowska (1978) and Harriet Wadeson
(1980) at NIMH, where they were able to construct imaginative tasks to study patient
art. With the help of colleagues in psychiatry and psychology, they also developed scor-
ing methods and rating manuals, the most elaborate one being the Dent-Kwiatkowska
Rating Manual.
Figure 6.6 “Person” by Jimmy.