130 • Introduction to Art Therapy
Inspired by her studies with Kwiatkowska, Linda Gantt (Figure 6.8) has developed and
refined the Formal Elements Art Therapy Scale (FEATS) (Gantt & Tabone, 1998), designed
to measure variables in patients’ drawings of A Person Picking an Apple from a Tree (PPAT)
(DVD 6.4E) (cf. V. Lowenfeld, 1957). A similar effort has been under way since 1988 to rate
drawings elicited in the Diagnostic Drawing Series developed and administered on the DVD
(6.14) by Barry Cohen^8 (Figure 6.9).
In both instances, the art therapist researchers have invited participation by colleagues
in the collection and analysis of data, as has Rawley Silver, who has developed and refined
rating scales for her drawing tests over a 30-year period (Silver, 1978, 2002, 2007).
Rating Scales for Art Behaviors
While not as common as drawing assessments, rating scales for art behaviors represent one
of the ways in which art therapists attempt to assess the effectiveness of their interventions.
Such approaches began in the 1960s, when behavioral objectives were introduced in educa-
tion, and continue to be important, since accountability and evidence-based practices have
become necessary for reimbursement and funding in many settings.
Behavioral assessments now characterize most evaluations in education, mental health,
and rehabilitation and are used by art therapists to assess patient progress in a variety of
settings, although there is no standardized format (Frostig & Essex, 1998).
For her doctoral research, Troeger created an art skills assessment for special education
students, using a developmental scale to rate behaviors while working with art materials—
drawing, painting, cutting paper, and using clay (Wadeson, 1992). When Fugaro (1985)
adapted the Silver Drawing Test (Silver, 1978) for assessment with neurologically and emo-
tionally impaired children, he included many behavioral measures as well as the drawing
scales of the original instrument.
Figure 6.7 “Self-Portrait” by Jimmy.