Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums GT Research draw-a-person test and intelligence

My DS6 tested 132 on the standford benet. He is the WORST drawer. In fact I could count on my hands how often he sat down to draw. Just recently stopped drawing stick figures but even still his people drawings are very funny. He drew his teacher and she had these big balloon things on the arms, I was like what the heck is that, he said those were "the sleeves". He also recently was upset saying "no one will love him because he can't draw a heart" I had to tell him to make an M and close it at the bottom. Being a "perfectionist" (he says he is married to that word even), he can't draw "perfect" so doesn't draw at all , unless he has to.

DD7 "failed" the draw the person test when she was being evaluated for SPD when she was 6, in spite of the fact that she loves to draw and indeed draws every single day. Something about the kinds of details. That was shortly after we found out about her giftedness.

DS6 who has an IEP for fine motor and speech, and by my guess probably has a higher IQ than dd even though he hasn't been tested yet, can only draw a person with specific direction. He never draws, at least not people.

Other DS6 draws daily as well, seems to have a different pattern of strengths and weaknesses than his sibs (is doing great with reading), and only draws very basic stick figures - usually tiny ones that are part of some elaborate battle scene LOL.

In our family, there seems to be no correlation between drawing people and intelligence level.

Lori,

I highly recommend Macrae's Biography of John von Neumann. Macrae spends a lot of time comparing geniuses and what makes them tick. He comes to the conclusion that the thing that allows some to transcend (Feynman, Neumann, Fermi ) is whether they can laugh at the world. He gives examples. Its a very interesting book.

http://www.amazon.com/John-Von-Neumann-Scientific-Deterrence/dp/082182676X

DW cannot draw to save her life. But she had straight A's.

Her sister, OTOH, is an amazing artist. From before KG she could draw just about anything. I've seen some pencil drawings from when she was around 7 and they are luminous. But never had more than a B average.

Thanks. I'll have to add that to my next book order. My husband, son and I just got back late last night from another pun-filled trip to Dallas to help my daughter who was having computer trouble. Knowing from experience that this could end up costing us money, and wanting to make sure we had enough money available to help her without putting ourselves in debt, I told my husband that I wished I had checked to see how much our son's "brace" was going to cost and from the backseat we heard "Mom, you're just going to have to "brace" yourself.

My adult daughter, who definitely has the intelligence necessary to draw very well, needed help from the computer geeks in the family who don't draw as well.

My husband said he thought he knew what the problem was and he could fix it but we had to get back home that same evening so we had no choice but to buy a new computer for her and set it up so she could apply for jobs online to replace the job she lost a few months ago. She is having trouble finding another job that pays well enough to pay the rent, she has had a bad cold and was feeling really down, and we knew it was just one of those times we would have to help. Her drawing ability and her exceptional ability to color in the lines is not, for some reason, helping her find a job that pays well enough to pay the rent.

My son, who doesn't normally volunteer to practice math, decided to practice mental math for me by telling me how many games or books or restaurant meals we could have bought for what we spent on his sister's new computer. I have a feeling he will practice this type of mental math for me for a while. I am still hearing about how much better Gamestop stock is doing compared to what I invested his college savings in. He likes his sister and he is really just kind of kidding around about the money issues but he just loves to point things out that I might not have noticed. His dad is the same way. They both tell me they can't help it. They say what they think especially if they think something is funny. No control over it. If it is slightly inappropriate but the humor factor outweighs the inappropriateness which in their minds almost always does, they are going to say it. I is terrible because they make me laugh when I shouldn't and I can't stop myself.

Woof. I can use myself as an example here. I tested into the gifted program in HS (IQ=?; they only told me 99+).

If you were to guess my IQ from my drawing ability at age 4, you would have thought I was, umm...well, downright dumb.

I drew people with circles for heads. Their legs came straight out of their heads, and their arms came out of their legs. My big detail was to draw circles on the legs (knees).

I mostly drew these masterpieces in my mother's books. She begged me not to, but somehow, I was just drawn to them (!).

My drawing ability is probably -2SDs (no joke)! I've always wished I could draw. Many people have tried to teach me, but no matter how hard I try, I just can't do it.

My DS9 (IQ unknown but skipped a grade and very good at math) drew elaborate pictures of me (hair, wearing a dress, etc) in pre-K. He was better then than I am now. He can render things beautifully.

Oh well!

Val

DS5 was using his doodlepro right at 11-12mos old, when i looked down. there was a head, eyes, nose, mouth, ears on each side (though not even), and these big long things coming out from above each eye. I asked him what they were, and he responded "eyebrows mom, eyebrows".

No average 1 year old draws eyebrows. Unfortunately, I also didn't realize until DD3 was born that most average 1 year olds don't draw faces at all, most don't even get the hang of circles that early. DD3 (4 in October) started circles near her 3rd birthday and still today will leave out eyebrows even though she does know they exist.

DS5's drawings are incredibly detailed to this day, but they do still "look" like a kid drew them.

somehow this brought back a memory... When my son was about 2? he use to ask me to draw picture after picture. I would draw a house and he would let me know how man windows and if there should be flowers in the yard, ect. That seems so sweet now.

My DS9 is a good artist. One day I said :you love drawing" he says "no I just draw because I need to." He says "when you make a story it should have pictures."

this is fun to share, I'm new here. maybe my story will bring up a memory for someone else.

Another memory...My DD6 when she was younger, probally preschool, would draw pictures like a rabbit and turn the paper over to draw the tail on the other side. I love that. You all are having a more serious discussion. Maybe you will enjoy the story.

Gifties can remember more detail than others. This test should have an option of describing rather than drawing.

My daughter began drawing simple pix of my husband and me. At some point, she began drawing all the "lines" in our eyes and this made me a little nervous as I was not getting enough sleep at the time. I had to explain to her that sometimes exact is not flattering.