To read more about the studies that have provided the evidence on which Naming Therapy is based, please look at the following references: If you opt for the 'no repeat' rule the following applies: Once an example is uttered, whether in play or in conversation, it may NOT be used to win a Face-Off during that round/sitting. The exception to this is when the same answer is appropriate for a different card.

Decades of research have looked at how teaching people to think about the semantic properties of a wordhelps them whentrying to retrieveit. Semantic feature analysis (SFA)is a classic therapy technique that’s proven very effective (Boyle, 2010). Wild cards display two different symbols that may now be considered to “match”, and may cause a new face-off. Not to mention there’s a lot of screaming in the game as players try to spew out some answer. And if a youngster’s on the other end of that adult frantically pointing their way shouting out crazy stuff, it can be pretty intimidating. I always start mywork by looking at the literature. Iasked what people with aphasia needed to practice, to improve their naming skills. Which techniques could be automated, to allow people to practice more at home?van Hees, S., Angwin, A., McMahon, K., & Copland, D. (2013). A comparison of semantic feature analysis and phonological components analysis for the treatment of naming impairments in aphasia. Neuropsychological rehabilitation, 23(1), 102–132. When the Draw Piles are depleted, the person with the most cards in their Winning Pile wins the round. Anomia wasn’t made for the youngster crowd. The recommended ages for Anomia are 10+ and we think that’s pretty accurate. Even at that, there will be some categories that will be hard for 10 years olds to come up with items in the category. So Anomia is definitely more fun for older kids and adults.

Abel, S., Schultz, A., Radermacher, I., Willmes, K., & Huber, W. (2005). Decreasing and increasing cues in naming therapy for aphasia. Aphasiology, 19(9), 831–848. A correct answer is usually common knowledge, can be real or fictional, current or historical, and is one that the group generally recognizes to be true.

After playing Anomia a number of times, I think you could add to those definitions, “4) The party game where people jump out of their chairs, point frantically, stutter in loud outbursts, and experience brain-freeze.” There are also wild cards that may flip out; so rather than a player’s play pile, put those in a central area near the draw piles so everyone can see. You’ll cover up any previous wild cards, as well. Any disagreements about the winner of a Face-Off, or the correctness of an answer, shall be decided by a group vote called by the loser. If necessary, you may use dictionaries, magazines, the internet, etc..., to help settle disputes.