Kinetic Family Drawings by Children with Perceptual-motor Delays

Abstract

Kinetic Family Drawings (KFDs) from 50 kindergarten and first-grade children with perceptual-motor delays are compared with those done by 50 children of the same age without such delays. Each child was asked to make a drawing of his family, including himself, with everyone doing something. All drawings were scored on criteria developed by Burns and Kaufman, and by Koppitz: isolation-rejection, body concerns, and sibling rivalry. The KFDs of children with delayed development showed more of these indicators than did the control group's KFDs. A further analysis of the results suggests that isolation-rejection and body concerns differentiate the children who show delayed development from those who do not. Rivalry is not a significant discriminator. KFDs provide important clinical information for the diagnosis and treatment of the problems of young children.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Bachara, G. , Zaba, J. , Raskin, L.M. : Human Figure Drawings by children with learning and visual perceptual problems. Academic Therap. 1975, 11, 277–222.

Beery, K.E. : Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration. Chicago: Follet., 1967.

Birch, H. , Belmont, J. : Auditory-visual integration, intelligence and reading ability in school children. Percept. Mot. Skill. 1965, 20, 195–305.

Burns, R.C. , Kaufman, S.H. : Kinetic Family Drawings (K-F-D): An Introduction to Understanding Children through Kinetic Drawings. New York: Brunner/Maze., 1970.

Burns, R.C. , Kaufman, S.H. : Actions, Styles, and Symbols in Kinetic Family Drawings (K-F-D). An Interpretive Manual. New York: Bruner/Maze., 1972.

Goodenough, F.L. : The Measurement of Intelligence by Drawing. Yonkers-on-the-Hudson, N. Y.: World Boo., 1926.

Hammer, E.F. : The H-T-P Clinical Research Manual. Beverly Hills: Western Psychol. Service., 1955.

Harris, D.B. : Children's Drawings as Measures of Intellectual Maturity. New York: Harcourt, Brace, and Worl., 1963.

Jones, B. , Robinson, T. : Sensory integration in normal and retarded children. Dev. Psycho. 1973, 9, 178–182.

10.

Koppitz, E.M. : Psychological Evaluation of Children's Human Figure Drawings. New York: Grune & Stratto., 1968.

11.

Machover, K. : Personality Projections in the Drawing of the Human Figure. Springfield, Ill.: Thoma., 1949.

12.

Martin, L.L. : Construction of a screening device to identify children with possible motor disabilities in kindergarten, first, and second grade. Doctoral dissertation, Purdue University 1971.

13.

Raskin, L.M. , Beatty, N.E. : Human Figure Drawings by clinic- and school-tested learning disabled children. Paper presented at the International Symposium on Learning Disabilities III, Miami, Florida, Octobe., 1973.