Comparison the Elements of Draw - a- Person Test (DAP) in Children with Autism Spectrum and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorders with Normal Children

Background and An efficient tool for diagnosing childhood disorders is projective drawing tests. In these tests, the cognitive, interpersonal, and psychological functions of an individual are assessed by drawing a person, a subject or a person. The present study aimed to investigate and compare the elements of draw -a -person test (DAP) in children 5 to 10 years old with spectrum autism, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorders and typically developing children.
This is a causal-comparative study. The statistical population of this study included children with spectrum autism and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorders referring to counseling clinics under the Welfare Organization of Yazd. 35 children from each group (105 individuals) were selected by convenient sampling method. Draw -a -person test (DAP), Echelle de comportment autistique (ECA-2) and impulsiveness scales (Barratt, 1995) were used to collect of data. The research sample was selected based on convenient sampling from clinical and therapeutic clinics in Yazd. Frequency, frequency percentage, cumulative frequency and Kruskal-Wallis test were used for data analysis.
The results showed that there was a significant difference between children with ADHD and autism with normal children in 10 elements of DAP, but there was no significant difference in the other three elements.
The difference between the levels of the elements of draw -a -person test (DAP) in children with spectrum autism and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorders means that there are elements in drawing a person that can be linked to the diagnosis of children with these disorders.