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Assessing and exploring the attachment in foster children through the use of the Bird's Nest art therapy task and narrative story
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Assessing and exploring the attachment in foster children through the use of the Bird's Nest art therapy task and narrative story

Veronika Grankina Redtschitz
Master of Arts (M.A.), Drexel University
Nov 2012
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/etd-4082
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Abstract

Art therapy Attachment Bird's Nest Drawing Foster Children
The purpose of this research study was to assess and explore attachment patterns in foster children between seven to eleven years of age using an art therapy assessment called the Bird's Nest Drawing (BND). Three participants with a history of at least two foster home placements participated in this study. Two of the children were female and one child was male. All children were African-American. The results in a number of studies indicate that children in foster care are at elevated risk of developing behavior and mental health problems and insecure attachments (Finzi, et al., 2001; Klassen, 2000). A thorough understanding of this problem is essential to clinicians working with this population in order to plan and provide appropriate interventions and treatment. This pilot study, in which children were asked to draw a bird's nest and tell a story about their drawing, was conducted in order to understand and assess attachment patterns in foster children. All children in this sample were assessed as insecurely attached and each one's drawings and stories shared themes of isolation, vulnerability, fear, lack of protection, some type of a threat to the well-being of the birds living in the nest and loss of the bird's nest. Despite the negative themes in the children's artwork and narratives all participants ended their stories with positive endings, which suggests they may have wish-fulfillment fantasies or feel hopeful about their future. The findings of this study suggest that the children who participated were able to use the metaphor of the bird's nest effectively, which provided valuable information concerning their attachment experiences. This suggests that the BND can be a valuable and effective tool to collect information about a child's attachment experience and possibly assess attachment patterns within one 50-minute session. The findings suggest that information obtained during the BND assessment can be used by clinicians to track a client's progress and plan treatment and interventions more efficiently during art therapy.

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