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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!oliveb!bene!luke!itkin
From: itkin@luke.UUCP (Steven List)
Newsgroups: net.med,net.kids,net.social
Subject: Re: Changing Left-handedness to Right-handedness
Message-ID: <317@luke.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 15-Aug-85 20:49:44 EDT
Article-I.D.: luke.317
Posted: Thu Aug 15 20:49:44 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 19-Aug-85 08:23:59 EDT
References: <127@unc.unc.UUCP>
Reply-To: itkin@luke.UUCP (Steven List)
Organization: Benetics Corp, Mt.View, CA
Lines: 31
Xref: watmath net.med:2071 net.kids:1669 net.social:890
Summary: 

In article <127@unc.unc.UUCP> fsks@unc.UUCP (Frank Silbermann) writes:
>A friend's preschooler always seemed to prefer using his left hand.
>His mother has been trying to change him into a right hander.
...
>his name and coloring, though his coordination is much worse than
>other children his age.
>
>Though this attempt to switch hand preference may work, I wonder
>whether it might have bad repurcussions later.  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?

First, I wonder if "handedness" is related to which side of the brain is
dominant.  Since the right side of the brain controls the left side of
the body, and there are certain attributes associated with the right
(and left) side of the brain, mightn't trying to change "handedness" be
affected by these attributes?

Second, if the child tends to use his left hand, why does she want to
change that?  What's so special about right handedness?  Yes, I like
most others am right handed.  But my father and one of my sisters are
left handed.  It doesn't seem to have affected them significantly.  Why
does your friend want to do this?
-- 
***
*  Steven List @ Benetics Corporation, Mt. View, CA
*  Just part of the stock at "Uncle Bene's Farm"
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