164 Psychológia a patopsychológia dieťaťa, 52, 2018, č. 2, s. 164–172. VYTVARNA EXPRESIA AKO PLATFORMA POZNANIA DIEŤAŤA DANIELA VALACHOVÁ Pedagogická fakulta Univerzity Mateja Bela v Banskej Bystrici USING ARTISTIC EXPRESSION AS A PLATFORM FOR LEARNING ABOUT CHILDREN DOI: 10.2478/papd-2018-0015 Abstract: Introduction: We perceive artistic expression as a suitable form of knowledge, investigation, and construction of understanding through the use of creative representation. The main goal of a broader conceived research then is to explore the prospects of that same artistic expression as a personal representation of a child and develop possible pedagogical diagnostics. The presented study is focused on detecting the level of trauma of refugee children and helping them to get through their suffering using artistic and pedagogical diagnostics of expression. The inquiry was carried out over two months with five children. Methods: Methods of observation, content analysis, and unstructured interviews were used during the research. Several themes were employed in meetings, but for the pur- pose of this paper we will analyze only one – that being “my house”. This theme was aimed through relaxation activities with clay, finger games, own world, reconstruction, and imagi- nation of new space. It was a joint work that reflected children’s experiences using artistic expression with the clay. Results: Clearly, from their own creation, children transformed their house into a bridge, which could be interpreted as a transition to a better house than they have experi- enced. Signs that appeared in children’s creations led to following interpretations and com- munications that brought us closer to the children’s issues which, in turn, were often related to the disturbance they had experienced and are still experiencing. Conclusions: It is precisely the art expression that proved to be the right mean for eliminating negative emotions and consequent problems arising from trauma. The ef- Prišlo: 15.1.2018, DV, Katedra výtvarnej kultúry, Pedagogická fakulta, Univerzita Mateja Bela v Banskej Bystrici, Ružová 13, 974 11 Banská Bystrica E-mail: daniela.valachova@umb.sk