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From: csdf@mit-vax.UUCP (Charles Forsythe)
Newsgroups: net.kids
Subject: Re: Changing Left-handedness to Right-handedness
Message-ID: <626@mit-vax.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 14-Aug-85 18:58:18 EDT
Article-I.D.: mit-vax.626
Posted: Wed Aug 14 18:58:18 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 19-Aug-85 07:15:36 EDT
References: <1076@ihlpg.UUCP>
Reply-To: csdf@mit-vax.UUCP (Charles Forsythe)
Organization: MIT, Cambridge, MA
Lines: 39

> A friend's preschooler always seemed to prefer using his left hand.
> His mother has been trying to change him into a right hander.
> She bought him a toy baseball glove for right handers, and when she
> takes out the coloring books, she instructs him to use his right hand
> "so he'll have fewer problems when he goes to schood."
> When he was a toddler, she refused to hand him any candy, toys,
> or other objects until he finally reached with his right hand.
> 
> 
> 	Frank Silbermann

Tell her to stop! Changing handedness can have VERY SERIOUS side effects
in the brain -- specifically, the relationship between right and left
halves. 

My father is an expert in the feild of educating Dyslexics. Dyslexia is
a brain-disorder that causes an inability to process letters, numbers
and other abstract symbols. Some children are born with it. Einstien,
for example, failed math because of it. His theory of relativity, some
historians claim, was brought about by an inability to distinguish
between left and right.

Some children are not born with it, but forcing them to change hands can
produce the effect. Left-handers, in general, are more prone to the
affliction than right-handers, simply because of the way their brain
works. Left alone, they can learn to compensate by themselves. Yet, if
they have to deal with the hand-switching, they may not be able to.

If you would like some references I could probably get them from my
father and either post them or mail them.

An aside: as for doing worse in school -- come to an MIT lecture. You'll
notice about half the students using their LEFT hands!
-- 
Charles Forsythe
CSDF@MIT-VAX
"I was going to say something really profound, but I forgot what it was."
-Rev. Wang Zeep