The use of specific semantic word categories in the diagnosis of dysnomic learning-disabled children.

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe word finding skills of dysnomic children (learning‐disabled children with word finding problems) were compared with those of learning disabled and normal children without word finding problems when naming letters, numbers, and colours. Comparison of word finding skills between groups and conditions were made with respect to completion time, errors, and secondary characteristics. Learning‐disabled children with word finding problems manifested significantly more errors, longer completion times, and more secondary characteristics on letter and colour naming while performing similarly to children without word finding problems on number naming tasks. Learning disabled children without word finding problems did not differ significantly from normal children in their naming of colours, letters, or numbers. Implications for the use of specific semantic categories in the assessment of word finding disorders are discussed.