Abstract

The early years of life are critical for the development of a child’s sense of self, identity, cognitive, emotional, and social skills. However, for some children, these developments are impacted by congenital developmental delays and difficulties. Early intervention (EI) can help prevent these delays from becoming long-term challenges. Drawing on the belief that art is the natural language of all children, we posit that developmental art therapy has transformative potential when working with children with developmental delays. This article shares a structured developmental art therapy framework focusing on three core domains: creative, affective/motivational, and social/behavioral. Through practical examples and artworks, the article demonstrates how art therapy enhances children’s sense of self across these domains. The framework offers a holistic approach adaptable to the unique developmental profiles of children in EI programs, providing valuable insight for practitioners and researchers in creative arts in education and therapy.