THIS STUDY INDICATED THAT THERE IS AN OBSERVABLE DIFFERENTIATION OF FORM, USE OF MEDIA, CHARACTERISTICS OF ART WORK, AND BEHAVIOR PATTERNS, AS WELL AS PROCESS, BETWEEN ABUSED CHILDREN'S ART AND THE WORK OF NEGLECTED CHILDREN. IN ADDITION, A TIME DIFFERENTIAL IN RESPONSE WAS FOUND WHICH APPEARED TO CORRELATE WITH SEVERITY OF ABUSE. THREE GROUPS OF CHILDREN WERE STUDIED: PRE-CRISIS, NEGLECTED, AND ABUSED. THERE WERE FOUR CHILDREN IN EACH GROUP, SELECTED AT RANDOM FROM A POPULATION OF 100 CHILDREN CONTAINING ALL THREE CATEGORIES. ALL WERE PARTICIPANTS IN THE SUFFOLK COUNTY (NY) 'EXTENDED FAMILY SUPPORT SYSTEMS FOR FAMILIES UNDER STRESS', A PROGRAM DESIGNED TO PROVIDE 24-HOUR CRISIS CARE IN A FAMILY DAY CARE HOME AS REHABILITATIVE SUPPORT TO PARENTS WHO HAVE ABUSED OR NEGLECT A CHILD AND AS PRIMARY PREVENTIVE SUPPORT TO FAMILIES UNDER STRESS WHO ARE IN DANGER OF DETERIORATION AND/OR BREAK UP. CASE STUDIES ARE PRESENTED AND DISCUSSED.