Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION JOURNAL, cilt.0, sa.0, ss.1-14, 2025 (SSCI, Scopus)
Language and drawing are defined as two representational systems, and the question of whether these systems are interrelated is a topic of much current research. Individuals with autism often exhibit limited social interaction abilities, and many struggle with language and communication skills. However, it is noteworthy that some individuals with autism demonstrate advanced drawing abilities. Therefore, a study exploring the relationship between language and drawing in individuals with autism could significantly clarify the uncertainty surrounding a potential link between these two representational systems. In this study, 37 autistic children (9 girls, 28 boys) aged between 48 and 89 months participated. The Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) was used to assess the severity of autism, the TEDİL was employed to evaluate language skills, and the Coloured Progressive Matrices (CPM) test was administered to measure non-verbal cognitive performance. After these assessments, participants were asked to draw freely, and their drawings were evaluated using the Drawing Checklist. The results of the Pearson correlation coefficient revealed a positive relationship between drawing skills and language abilities, with a particularly strong correlation between expressive language scores and drawing skills. Additionally, participants who drew human figures had higher receptive and expressive language scores compared to those who did not.