Ambidextrous kids more prone to mental issues

live science via msnbc.com ^ | Jan. 25, 2010 | By Jeanna Bryner

[Daffynition]

Children who are ambidextrous, using either hand with the same ease, may be more likely to have mental health, language and academic problems than their peers, according to a new study.

The researchers say the findings may help teachers and health professionals identify children who are particularly at risk of developing these problems.

The researchers aren't sure what is behind this link, though they suggest differences in the brain between ambidextrous individuals and those who have a dominant hand may play a role. In fact, scientists aren't sure why some people can use both hands equally well (with no dominant hand), a skill also known as mixed-handedness.

[snip]

[autumnraine]

I write right handed, sew and play guitar left handed, have an IQ near 150 and can’t remember where I put my shoes most of the time.

Yep, I’m pretty screwed up. I’ll bet on a really bad, my husband will agree with the mental illness part, heeeee

[autumnraine]

Oh yeah, and my mouse can be on either side of my keyboard, doesn’t matter to me. I can use it left or right hand. But I would say my right hand is dominant.

[Boucheau]

“Or maybe not.”

LOL

I drive my wife crazy with the phrase: “But, on the other hand.”

She thinks I’m settled on something, then I’ll argue the other side, in detail and out loud. Poor thing.

[autumnraine]

ME!!!!

In the first grade (in 1979) I would try to write with my left hand and the teacher would physically show me how to hold the paper at a slant to write with the right hand. Said it was less trouble later in life. So things that I wasn’t taught to do things (ie: Sew, play guitar, use mouse), I do better left handed. But hand is trained for right handed for writing.

[BenKenobi]

Use left for sports, right for writing. Much prefer typing though, as I get to use both hands!

[hellbender]

There are rumors that Baraq Hussein 0bama-Soetoro al-Kenya swings both ways. Does that explain why he is a sociopathic habitual liar?

[buffyt]

the only person I know who is totally ambidextrous is just fine.

[goseminoles]

You know, I recognized I said that after I posted. LOL....
Oh well...

[Daffynition]

[acoulterfan]

I am not fully ambidextrous either

Left handed:

eat
write
archery
badminton

Right handed:

Baseball
Volleyball
computer mouse
field hockey
bowling
kick

[Daffynition]

[Oldpuppymax]

Oh, wow! So is it too late for me to get some really cool pills and stuff??!!

[Tallguy]

I am ambidextrous. It’s noticed by most people when I switch the hand I mouse with at will. If one hand gets tired from mousing, I just switch to the other—freaks ‘em out sometimes.

I don't consider myself to be ambidextrous. I'm a "Lefty" and like a lot of left-handers I am much more likely to use my off-hand than right-handers.

One consequence of my 'condition' is that one of the first things I notice about a person is which hand they do things with -- especially in sports. You'd be surprised how few people notice if their opponent is right- or left-handed until you ask them.

[Tallguy]

Left Handed:

eat
write
bat (for power)
golf
ice hockey
throw

Right Handed:
bat (for average)
shoot (pistol, rifle, pool)
mouse
punt/place-kick (foot, of course)
archery

Either:

basketball (huge advantage)

I’m much better a bringing in a one-handed catch in football with my right hand as opposed to my left. Never could figure that one out. All in all, I’d say I’m a lefty.

[Deaf Smith]

Fishing reels are preset for us Lefties.

We cast with our left and crank with our right.

Right handed people........cast with their right, switch hands and then crank with their right.

Watch the BASS Pros on TV do this. A few (right handed)BASS Pros have figured this out and buy left handed reels to cast with their right and crank with their left.

[surrey]

I’m not fully ambidextrous either. I can write with either hand but when I was teaching I couldn’t write on the blackboard with my left hand. I eat left, sew right and if I play tennis I serve right and hit left.

[Daffynition]

Or let them all become abstract artists.

[Daffynition]

[Daffynition]

The Greeks encouraged and tried to promote ambidexterity because it was simply logical in sports and battle to be adept with both hands instead of one. By combining the Phoenician style of writing right to left with their own left to right system, the Greeks created a reading and writing system called boustrophedon, where the lines ran alternately right-to-left and left-to-right. With alternating sweeps of the eyes back and forth, reading was more swift and efficient. ......Michelangelo (1475-1564) was a multi-faceted genius like Leonardo da Vinci. He often painted with both hands. When one got tired, he switched to the other.

British artist, Sir Edwin Henry Landseer (1802-1873) could draw with both hands simultaneously -- a horse's head with one hand and a stag's head with the other. He taught drawing and etching to Queen Victoria who was a lefty that becameambidextrous. ......Fleming, Einstein and Tesla were all ambidextrous. Benjamin Franklin was also ambidextrous and signed the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution with his left hand. U.S. 20th president, James Garfield was a well educated backwoodsman born in a log cabin. Although he could write with either hand with equal ease, he could also write Greek with his left hand and Latin with his right hand simultaneously! Harry Kahne demonstrated his mental dexterity in 1922 by performing several mental operations simultaneously. While one hand was writing mirror language, the other hand intermingled upside down and backward letters. ......

[Daffynition]

I see the big-leagues in his future!