The effects of early hemisphere damage on lexical development were inv
estigated in 33 children with unilateral left (n = 21) or right (n = 1
2) hemisphere damage and 16 normal healthy controls. Single-word namin
g was assessed using the Expressive One-Word Picture Vocabulary Test (
EOW) and lexical comprehension was assessed using the Peabody Picture
Vocabulary Test-Revised (PPVT-R). Left lesion subjects (LL) performed
comparable to controls in naming, but scored lower than controls on th
e PPVT-R. Right lesion subjects (RL) scored lower than controls and LL
subjects on both the EOW and the PPVT-R. The unexpected superiority o
f LL in comparison to RL children on the EOW and the PPVT-R argues aga
inst a simple left hemisphere dominance for early lexical development.
RL subjects' significant comprehension deficits failed to correlate w
ith more general measures of verbal intelligence supporting a speciali
zed role of the right hemisphere in mediating the acquisition of word
meaning.