Drawings of children with speech and language impairment

This thesis addresses the use of drawing as an alternative way for children with speech and language impairment to express how they perceive themselves and their speech in communication with others. The aim of the qualitative research was to identify general characteristics of drawings of children with speech and language impairment, as well as identifying those specific characteristics which can indicate how children with speech and language impairment feel in general about themselves and their speech during conversation. The research included children aged between four and five years; eight children with speech and language impairment, which are included in individual speech and language therapy, and five children with typical speech and language development. The children were asked to draw themselves while talking with someone else and to answer a series of questions related to the content of their drawings. Their answers were used as a base for the analyses and interpretation of their drawings, which are collected and presented in the empirical part of this thesis. Most children with speech and language impairment expressed, with direct and indirect indicators of positive emotions in their drawings, that they feel comfortable talking with the chosen conversational partners, as well as that they feel good about their speech. Unlike children with typical speech and language development, which portrayed only positive emotions in their drawings, some children with speech and language impairment also portrayed negative emotions