Having pencils, crayons and fresh paper to hand can be useful, so that the person can express themselves with writing or drawing if they would like to. There is always much to learn. I might suggest, “let’s draw something together … how about a face… a flower… a house… a tree…” Though I say ‘together’, the drawing is always theirs, my role is merely to admire, enquire, support and occasionally nudge a little. Drawings are helpful because they so often lead to conversations. Many people think that they can’t draw, but in my experience this is rarely true and anyway, it’s about creating participation, not great art. Generally, what’s needed is some sincere encouragement.
Judging anything a person draws is an absolute no-no – the aim is to tempt them to express themselves however they would like to, as freely as they can. That means they need to feel safe and good about themselves. An enthusiastic, upbeat “that’s so interesting / lovely / great!” is almost the only opinion anyone wants to hear.
The (academic) quality of the drawing is entirely irrelevant, what matters is the process, which offers a form of expression that doesn’t require words. This is definitely NOT a competitive activity. Apart from the general enjoyment it offers, if anything, it’s about providing meaningful engagement and pleasure, while helping open windows onto the person’s past and hopefully, building their self-esteem.