Anomia for animals in a child.

The occurrence of anomia which particularly affected the category of animals is described in a 12-year-old boy. This difficulty cannot be accounted for by frequency or familiarity and is unaffected by whether the stimulus is a line drawing, photograph or model. The deficit does not represent development lag, as normal children of the same naming age differ qualitatively. The results, which include a one year follow-up, are discussed in relation to unitary versus multiple semantic systems. The disorder includes a disturbance of memory arising during the developmental period. It is suggested that items which are involved in daily actions can be more easily remembered than those which are identified by sensory features alone, and that the preserved learning of motor skills in acquired amnesia may be of relevance.