Re: Apraxia and ambidextrous - the connection?

June 11, 2003

I am not a Dr. or OT but my guess is that if a child has a problem

crossing their midline they may tend to be ambidextrous. The midline

would be say a child is sitting on the floor doing a puzzle. If they

are right dominant they may reach for a piece on their left side with

their right hand. A child who can't cross would just pick it up with

their left hand.

I think 28 months is still within the age of choosing hand dominance.

I think the age is closer to 3 (feel free to correct me).

Because apraxia is a motor planning issue, in our case we found

occupational therapy to be a big help.

denise

> Hi all!

>

> I was reading in the Late Talker that being ambidextrous (not

showing

> a preference for either hand) by the age of 2 can be one of the

signs

> of apraxia.

>

> Interesting! I wonder what the connection is... ?

>

> It's mentioned sorta in passing in the book (but I'm only 1/2 way

> through! *grin*)...

>

> I'm curious! Do apraxia kids tend to remain ambidextrous? Or are

> they late in developing a preference?!? Or do they ever develop a

> preference?

>

> Thanks!

> Tammy, mother to Max (28 mo, severe verbal apraxia - who still

> doesn't show a preference for either hand)

June 11, 2003

Hi Tammy

I have not read that yet in the book, I have been jumping around. I need to

sit & read start to finish. That is interesting because is my 4th

child & is the one that has apraxia. I have always been in tune to watching

what hand each child preferred in the early years. My husband is a lefty

and always comments on the fact that it is a right handed world. Everything

from taking test in school (read questions on left side of page, fill in

bubble on right side) to driving a car as a adult. And he says it really is

difficult! When was at the age your son is he too would use both hands

equally, I kept wondering which hand is it going to be. He is now 5 & uses

his right hand for almost everything except batting a ball or putting with a

golf club. And he has quite a baseball swing for not being on a team just

playing with mom in the backyard!! That would be interesting to see here

on the list how many of the kids did do this in the early years??

Tammy I. in FL mom to 5 apraxic, 7, 18 & 22

June 11, 2003

My 17 year old was the same....currently he writes with his right hand (mostly I

think because that is how they taught it and he couldn't figure out how to do it

backwards) prior to that he did most things equally well with both but favoured

his left...he uses his left now for everything but writing...golf, baseball,

hockey. My other son, who is a leftie but without speech issues stuck with his

left hand even for writing. I really honestly believe that trying to figure out

how to do things backwards was the reason he used his right hand for

writing...it takes him a REALLY long time to write.

Annemarie

Remember: Amateurs built the Ark. Professionals built the Titanic.

June 11, 2003

Hi Tammy,

does everything with his left hand, but when it comes to baseball and

playing golf he uses his right hand. I thought that was interesting. Something

else our kids have in common.

Jeanne

June 11, 2003

jeanne

my son also anthony and also a lefty. i wonder how many kids that are lefty

have speech problems? any connection? it seems like there is a large amount

of lefties here.

i am also a lefty (no speech problems) but in golf i tee off lefty and putt

righty (due to all the putt-putt golf as a kid) you should see the strange

looks on the golf course. i saw other people doing it when i was a kid and when

they taught me it was righty. i can't putt lefty. i think when people teach

children they latch on to certain ways of doing things and to change them

would be hard. lori- mom to anthony 3 1/2

here is a poem that will certainly touch all of you...

WISHES IN THE DARK

Sometimes when he's sleeping

I can see in my mind's eye

the little boy I thought I had,

the one who said good-bye.

Sometimes when he's sleeping

hands folded by his cheek

I close my eyes and see before me

a child who can speak.

Sometimes when he's sleeping

he seems so whole and well

I can't believe he won't awaken

with dreams of which to tell.

Sometimes when he's sleeping

and the tears in my eyes overflow,

I steal what kisses I can in the dark

and wonder what joys he will know.

Sometimes when he's sleeping

and my eyes ache with tears unshed,

I pray he'll always be full of peace

as he slumbers in his bed.

Sometimes when he's sleeping

I can almost hear him say

" I love you, Mom, with my heart

and my soul, each and every day " .

But always when he's sleeping

I am full of pride

at the miracle that is my son

and the perfection that is inside

Edited 2003

June 12, 2003

This is an interesting thread that I have always wondered about. I always

considered being ambidextrious a plus and a sign of a well-balanced brain -

lol!

I consider myself a ambidextrious - I write with my left hand, but I prefer

play sports and cut with a knife using my write hand, though I can also do

it left handed, it feels awkward.

My youngest sister, writes right-handed but plays sports left-handed.

She has a 10 yr old autistic son (truly autistic with measles virus

complications too) and I have Marco (3 yrs) with verbal dyspraxic issues.

Both of our sons continue to show a non-preference for hand-use and use

whichever hand is closest to what they want to do.

Here's another curious question related to this topic - how do you stop

" helpful " people who see your child using their left-hand and proceed to

tell and/or have the child change to the right hand? I.e. discourage the

use of the left-hand since the right-hand is the " right " choice for say

writing? Since I'm a left who was never forced or encouraged to change my

personal preference, I'm extra sensitive to attempts to force Marco to

change to his right hand if he wants to use his left - and I try to

" educate " the Italian family members and others here who have tried to

change him to his right hand (he writes and colors with both hands, by the

way) that he should be left to choose and that LEFT is okay.

June 12, 2003

That poem is beautiful!

My son is apraxic, had significant difficulty crossing midline, and is just now

starting to show a hand preference (left). His OT, just yesterday, suggested

that we start encouraging that dominance (handing him things to his left hand,

encouraging crossing midline with his left whil weight bearing on the right,

etc,). He is only 26 months. Does this seem too early to encourage dominance?

There's just a tiny part of me that is afraid of encouraging him to be

left-handed--it just kind of seems that life is going to be challenging emough

for him! I would NEVER push right-handedness either, I'm just not sure we are

at the point of pushing the left. Any input would be welcomed.

His OT also said that in her experience, a lot of special needs kids are