test Assessment of the parent-child attachment in students with neurodevelopmental disorders through the Bird's Nest Drawing|Investigating the child’s world

Assessment of the parent-child attachment in students with neurodevelopmental disorders through the Bird's Nest Drawing

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Published: Oct 11, 2025
Keywords:
Attachment Bird's nest drawing Neurodevelopmental disorders Special education Unsecure attachment
Psychologist, PhD
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Department of Psychology
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8123-0091
Social Worker
Unified Special Vocational Secondary and Upper Secondary School
Psychologist, PhD
University of West Attica, Department of Social Work
Abstract

Attachment with the primary caregiver constitutes a significant predictive factor for the relationships children will form throughout their development. The projective test named “Bird's Nest” was developed as a means of assessing attachment within the framework of art therapy. Despite the fact that insecure attachment has been neurobiologically correlated with emotional dysregulation and neurodevelopmental disorders, there are few empirical studies on school-aged children. In this study, we aim to evaluate the attachment styles exhibited by students diagnosed with neurodevelopmental disorders in a special school. The attachment of the children to their parents was assessed through the “Bird's Nest” projective test. Additionally, interviews were conducted with the parents by the school psychologist and social worker, who then formulated their assessments regarding the attachment style of each student. Eight students participated in the study (6 boys, 2 girls, aged 9-12) with neurodevelopmental disorders attending a special school. Six students displayed insecure attachment, while the remaining two exhibited secure attachment. There was agreement between the projective test rating system and the clinical assessment derived from the parent interviews. The findings of this study suggest that the “Bird's Nest” projective test can serve as a valuable tool for detecting issues related to the parent-child attachment in students attending a special school.

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