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From: dr@ski.UUCP (David Robins)
Newsgroups: net.med,net.kids,net.social
Subject: Re: Changing Left-handedness to Right-handedness
Message-ID: <196@ski.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 15-Aug-85 13:25:54 EDT
Article-I.D.: ski.196
Posted: Thu Aug 15 13:25:54 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 19-Aug-85 21:28:45 EDT
References: <127@unc.unc.UUCP> <464@petrus.UUCP>
Organization: Smith-Kettlewell Institute, S.F., CA.
Lines: 39
Xref: linus net.med:1881 net.kids:1563 net.social:830

> ++
> > 						...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

Another problem said to be associated with changing handedness is
STUTTERING.

Some of the stuttering textbook draw this association.  However, of
course, the cause(s) of stuttering have not truly been elucidated...

Although this is anecdotal, I am a stutterer of the typical childhood
onset type.  I began life as a left-hander, and my parents, trying to
do the best they could for me, changed me to a right-hander. This was
in the early 50's when I was a preschooler.(They didn't do this with 
my other brothers, one of whom is a left-hander, because of they were
then told not to.

By the way, I do have excellent sense of direction!
-- 
====================================================================
David Robins, M.D. 
Smith-Kettlewell Institute of Visual Sciences
2232 Webster St; San Francisco CA 94115
415/561-1705
			{ihnp4,qantel,dual}!ptsfa!ski!dr

The opinions expressed herein do not reflect the opinion of the Institute!