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From: rdp@teddy.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.med,net.kids,net.social
Subject: Re: Changing Left-handedness to Right-handedness
Message-ID: <1149@teddy.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 15-Aug-85 11:34:26 EDT
Article-I.D.: teddy.1149
Posted: Thu Aug 15 11:34:26 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 18-Aug-85 04:55:25 EDT
References: <127@unc.unc.UUCP> <464@petrus.UUCP>
Reply-To: rdp@teddy.UUCP (Richard D. Pierce)
Organization: GenRad, Inc., Concord, Mass.
Lines: 26
Xref: watmath net.med:2063 net.kids:1663 net.social:887

In article <464@petrus.UUCP> mwg@petrus.UUCP (Mark Garrett) writes:
>++
>> 						...Do any readers
>> know of any psychological or social problems that can be caused
>> by the attempt to change a child's "handedness"?  How might this
>> affect his learning ability in school, his aptitude for sports,
>> and his social self-confidence?
>> 	Frank Silbermann
>
>Back in the "old days" in this country, they taught children to be
>right handed.  My father was born left-handed, and then re-trained.
>He now eats with his left hand, writes with his right, and claims 
>that the attempt at righting his dexterity has ruined his sense of
>direction (which is lousy; mine is good).  He is convinced that this
>is a usless if not harmful thing to do to children.
>-Mark Garrett

Holy shit! (excuse me)

My older brother was (is?) left handed until the wonderful Catholic
school he attended forced (yes, FORCED) him to use his right hand.

The result, not diagnosed until many years later was a condition, I
believe, referred to as "acordial disrythmia" (I think). He has suffered
from a great deal of emotional problems, confusion, etc. Several clinicians
have pointed their fingers to the attempt to switch his "handedness".