Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site mit-vax.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!harvard!think!mit-eddie!mit-vax!csdf 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