Cross dominance in left handers

[Ste]

I have suddenly developed an interest in handedness,

I am left handed when I write but with everything else I am righthanded.I think that I am naturally left handed but it was beaten out of me when I was a toddler. However I refused to write with my right hand ( hence the beatings which I think one of my uncles meted out to me).

This is called cross dominance and apparently corss dominant people suffer from dyslexia ( which I may suffer from to a small degree ) and ADD ( definitely).

Is there anyone else out there who is cross dominant and does anyone know of any interesting research on the topic namely the link between cross dominance and cognition.

[under par]

I have suddenly developed an interest in handedness,


This is called cross dominance and apparently corss dominant people suffer from dyslexia ( which I may suffer from to a small degree ) and ADD ( definitely).




"and ADD ( definitely)." :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

Ste I am really sorry if this offends you but I have a warped sense of humour.

Mis-spelling ADHD is either sheer genius of I am gonna get seriously flamed for laughing.

I am seriously sorry for laughing if it was unintentional. :blush:

[Lory]

This is called cross dominance and apparently corss dominant people suffer from dyslexia ( which I may suffer from to a small degree ) and ADD ( definitely).

Is there anyone else out there who is cross dominant and does anyone know of any interesting research on the topic namely the link between cross dominance and cognition.

My son was made to choose which hand he used, as he didn't show a natural preference by the time he started school, which ended in a lot of confusion. :confused: e.g. If he picked the pencil up with his right hand, he wrote from left to write (i.e. normally) but the next time he picked the pencil up, it may have been with his left hand and then he wrote from right to left, in perfect mirror writing.

If he was drawing a face, he'd draw the right eye with his right hand, then swap hands for the left eye.

He ended up choosing his right hand with the help of various 'experts' :rolleyes:
He's naturally left footed, eats with what ever hand he happens to pick the knife and fork up with and cleans his teeth swapping hands for each side. :worthy:

And yes, I'm afraid he's very dyslexic and has mild ADHD but he's also very bright! Therefore he finds school very tough and frustrating! :angry:

Dyslexia runs in families, it's also more common in blonde, blue eyed, boys and left handed people.
People with dyslexia sometimes also suffer from dyspraxia, which effects balance and co-ordination and it's believed that certain exercises to improve these, will also have a knock on effect on reading and writing? :cool:

My son definitely has NOT got dyspraxia, as he rode a bike at 3 ands won gold medals for gymnastics. :clap:

There's great computer programmes out now, to help dyslexics, they work like a normal spell check but with the added benefit of asking specific questions such as, 'Did you mean saw, as in 'seen,' or was, as in the 'singular past of be?'

Anyway the up side of it is, most people with it develop extremely good coping mechanisms and thankfully Adam's got the most amazing and witty sense of humour, he's also a cheeky little bugger! :hug:

[MartinHarper]

Mis-spelling ADHD is either sheer genius of I am gonna get seriously flamed for laughing.

ADD ~= old name for ADHD.
Wikipedia:ADHD (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attention-deficit_hyperactivity_disorder)

[under par]

ADD ~= old name for ADHD.
Wikipedia:ADHD (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attention-deficit_hyperactivity_disorder)


In which case I wish to retract fully my previous post.

I apologise for my lack of tact.

Under Par :blush:

[Divissima]

I am left handed when I write but with everything else I am righthanded.I think that I am naturally left handed but it was beaten out of me when I was a toddler. However I refused to write with my right hand ( hence the beatings which I think one of my uncles meted out to me).

This is called cross dominance and apparently corss dominant people suffer from dyslexia ( which I may suffer from to a small degree ) and ADD ( definitely).

Is there anyone else out there who is cross dominant and does anyone know of any interesting research on the topic namely the link between cross dominance and cognition.Hi Ste

I've never heard the term before, but now you've described it I can exclusively reveal that I am cross dominant too. Funny thing really. When I learned to write at the age of five, I learned with both hands and used to swap between them. However, my reception teacher (a fairly old-school style teacher) told my parents it would be 'too confusing' for me to be ambidexterous, so advised that I would have to choose. It is strange because I remember very little from that age, but I have very clear memories of this particular issue. In the end I chose to write with my left, but like Ste, I do almost everything else right-handed - use scissors, tennis rackets, I even lead with my right leg when going up stairs. I do one more thing left handed - use a spoon. I can't eat using a spoon in my right hand. It's strange.

Fortunately, I don't suffer from dyslexia, dyspraxia or ADHD. I might make some family enquiries as my paternal grandmother was ambidexterous her whole life. I'd be very interested in finding out more, perhaps we can share findings?

[Banana Man]

I have suddenly developed an interest in handedness,

I am left handed when I write but with everything else I am righthanded.I think that I am naturally left handed but it was beaten out of me when I was a toddler. However I refused to write with my right hand ( hence the beatings which I think one of my uncles meted out to me).

This is called cross dominance and apparently corss dominant people suffer from dyslexia ( which I may suffer from to a small degree ) and ADD ( definitely).

Is there anyone else out there who is cross dominant and does anyone know of any interesting research on the topic namely the link between cross dominance and cognition.

There's some interesting stuff about Irlen syndrome (Scotopic Sensitivity) and how this links with dyslexia, handedness and attention difficulties. Have a look here to start with: http://www.dyslexiaa2z.com/whatis.html

[Ste]

Divissima

Isn't it weird that we are both lawyers ( although I am not as successful as you methinks ) and both interested in dance? Funny isn't it.

I :

1. I Am very clumsy. I keep dropping things for no reason like my moby.Mind you I have incredibly poor eyesight.

2. I find it really hard to memorise things unless they fit a context and have found that I need to write things down to be able to remember. I hate studying unless I need the information and can't keep still ( I used to be able to keep still when I was a well disciplined pupil but lost a lot of this ability when I discovered heavy metal and guitars)

3. I have an incredibly underdeveloped sense of geography ( ask Will...it took me possibly almost 2 hours to get to his house from my flat on his birthday and by the time I got there , it was almost over and the nice girls were going home)

4. I am very artistic and was great at drawing.

5. I was not a great spotsman but if it was artisitc like karate or dancing I was goodl. In karate I did it for 8 weeks and got 2 belts which normally takes 6 months.

6. I can see pictures and impressions quite clearly and can hear fully orchestrated music when I am about to wake up. Definitely.

7. I compose music and can play guitar to a very high level

Anyone the same?

I have just visited an ADD web forum in the States. THese people call it ADD although some people call it ADHD. I keep forgetting what the H is anyway.

[Andy McGregor]

I am left handed and do everything left handed except use a mouse because it would take so much effort to move it over each time I sit at a shared computer - but even when I set up my laptop temporarily I still put he mouse on the right :confused:

I do find being exclusively left handed difficult for some tasks - especially using scissors and can openers. So I can see why left handers develop a certain right-handedness. So, the question is, do the right handed scissors make you dyslexic?

[Divissima]

I am left handed and do everything left handed except use a mouse because it would take so much effort to move it over each time I sit at a shared computer - but even when I set up my laptop temporarily I still put he mouse on the right :confused:I forgot the whole mouse thing - I am completely mouse ambidexterous, although I take a day or two to adjust when I swap over sides. You are right, though, Andy, swapping over is too much hassle, so I usually go for the right hand side.


I do find being exclusively left handed difficult for some tasks - especially using scissors and can openers. So I can see why left handers develop a certain right-handedness. So, the question is, do the right handed scissors make you dyslexic?I don't think I 'developed' right-handedness for scissors, etc. but it is too long ago to remember properly. Perhaps having only right-handed scissors available meant I simply developed and then reinforced a preference. It would be interesting to know, though. Perhaps it is possible to develop a right-handedness where none initially exists. Andy - did you ever have any problems with being left-handed, did your teachers, etc, ever try to get you to change?

[stewart38]

I have suddenly developed an interest in handedness,


This is called cross dominance and apparently corss dominant people suffer from dyslexia ( which I may suffer from to a small degree ) and ADD ( definitely).

.


Interesting thread, I've always done many things left handed but tend to write, right handed and play most sports right handed

Eating (ie using a spoon) playing darts and other things ive always done left handed my dad was even more mixed up, he wrote left handed and played many sports and bowled left handed but others right !

My mums brother had his left had strapped to his side at school for a week during the war to encourage the use of his right hand. He still ended up writting left handed but it was considered odd then and this was before Mr Mc Gregor 'came out' :sick:

[Daisy Chain]

I don't think I 'developed' right-handedness for scissors,

Left handed scissors are fabulous. Nobody else can borrow your posh dressmaking shears and blunt them on paper, fuse wire etc.

I'm very lefthanded except when I have to use both hands. eg I use a spoon in the left hand (like Lory, I miss my mouth if I try to eat with my right) but I use a knife and fork and knit like a normal person...

:worthy: to all you right handers who change gear in the car with your left hands. Dunno how you manage it.

Daisy

(A Sinister Little Flower)

[Andy McGregor]

Andy - did you ever have any problems with being left-handed, did your teachers, etc, ever try to get you to change?
The only place I've found being left-handed a problem was on the hockey field. The school had a couple of left handed sticks but when you played with them it was really hard to tackle, etc as you and your opponent were coming at each other on the same side of the ball - and as I was usually the smallest I came off worse :tears:

My teachers never tried to get me to write with any other hand. I changed schools so often I think they never really got the chance. I found that being left-handed was a real advantage in fencing at a local level as there were so few of us we took people by surprise, even other left-handers. But once you got into the top 100 there was a reported incidence of 30% left-handers so the advantage disappeared. One of the theories for this was that left handers have faster reactions due to the proximity of the right side of the brain to the motor functions. But my own theory is that left-handers stuck with fencing more than right handers because it was one of the few areas of sport where they found left-handedness to be anything except a handicap.

I must admit that I found writing with my left hand a real pain at school. We were made to write with fountain pens and I smudged my work if I wrote too quickly because my hand dragged over my writing before it dried. This meant I wrote very slowly and almost always had a blue stained edge to my left hand. My slow writing caused me to lean towards maths and science which didn't require so much writing. It also meant that I failed my English 'O' level as I couldn't write quickly enough to finish all the questions :tears: I re-took at the start of the lower sixth and got an 'A' - but I used a ball-point pen and therefore answered all the questions.

This is the first time I've given it much thought, but I think my left-handedness was a key factor in shaping my life - possibly reinforced by having to use fountain pens. I chose the science route at 13 for 'O' level because I got good marks - often coming top in my year. Had my writing been faster and neater I might have done better at arts and chosen that route or a more balanced selection of subjects.

My writing is still messy but the good news for me is computers. I learnt to touch-type in the 6th form (on manual typewriters) and the advent of computers changed everything. I'm can now use the keyboard much faster than I can write, even with a ball point, and people can read what I've written: even if they'd rather not!! So nowadays left-handedness must be less of an issue for kids in school.

[baldrick]

Very interesting thread.
Left handed but i can swap fairly easily to right if its easier. Hard learning new skills cause the teachers are usualy right and I forget to 'translate' sometimes. Took me 2 months when starting the bodharan. Much easier once over to the correct side.
I'm have difficulty with holding text still when reading and pinpoints of light can move around relative to each other. My world can be much prettier than other peoples.
Also draw pictures in my head when problem solving, much easier if the info required is laid out properly.
Writings a general perpose pain (as is spelling). Hate lefthanded siscors, just use righties with left hand. Love lefthanded scaucepans, confuses the life out of righties. Good having the only lefthanded screwdriver in the company :wink: .Failed to use lefthanded canopener too (we have a lefty shop in Glasgow so got to try lefty toys).

Love being a lefty, its definatly diferent ut not worse. Not any more. :clap:

[Dan Hudson]

I too am left sided... I write left handed, but can play football with both feet.although more accurately with my left.......... :sad:

I play golf and cricket right handed...all other sports invloving raquets etc left handed

Bizarrely I iron with the ironing board set up for right handed, but use my left hand :confused:

Also like Divi..my mouse is on the right :clap:

is this a casr for cross thingy??

Dan

[Russell Saxby]

As far as using my left side - I write, clean my teeth, play snooker, pool, golf and kick a football.

But if I have to throw anything it would have to be with my right hand - left handed would just feel weird, and wouldn't go very far. Also, using scissors would be right handed.

[Russell Saxby]

Dan, you have just reminded me all racquet sports would be right handed

[Carole]

I have just visited an ADD web forum in the States. THese people call it ADD although some people call it ADHD. I keep forgetting what the H is anyway.

'Attention Deficit Disorder' or 'Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder', in case anyone's interested!

[Dreadful Scathe]

Hmm, wonder what percentage of people in the jive world are lefties ? quite a few by this thread. Im feeling jealous as Im almost totally right sided :) Coincidentally, there is an article in this weeks Micro Mart (£1.90 from any reputable newsagents) that talks about the right handed bias of computer equipment - left hand specific stuff is scarce and more expensive but you can get it e.g. left hand keyboards with the number pad on the left. If you want to read the article do it before Thursday when the new Micro Mart comes out.

[Andy McGregor]

There's some interesting stuff about Irlen syndrome (Scotopic Sensitivity) and how this links with dyslexia, handedness and attention difficulties. Have a look here to start with: http://www.dyslexiaa2z.com/whatis.html
I've just followed the link and found out I've got a dyslexic trait. Here's what it says on the site;

confuse letters that look similar: d - b, u - n, m - n

I sometimes mix up my 'd's and 'g's: even on a keyboard where they're separated by an 'f'! So now I know I'm a bit dyslexic, what can I do about it? And can I get a grant? :devil:

[Lory]

Hmm, wonder what percentage of people in the jive world are lefties ?
Look here (http://www.cerocscotland.com/forum/showthread.php?t=79&highlight=handedness) :)

[Dreadful Scathe]

oh yes, i remember that thread now that you mention it :) There appears to be more ambidextrous dancers than left handers, I suppose you have to be really.

[Zebra Woman]

This thread has been fascinating reading :clap: .

I am right handed at everything except throwing a ball where I am definitely left handed, but still very crap in a girly kinda way.

Darts and pool I am undecided, so I take a few shots and use the best hand on the day. Raquet sports I am right handed (but also crap).

As you you can imagine I was last to be chosen for netball and rounders :tears: Sensibly, in my adult life I have chosen sports where there are no balls :eek: like pot-holing, cycling and sailing .

I feel so much less odd after reading all this :hug:

ZW :flower: (yeah I know I am still odd)

[Andy McGregor]

As you you can imagine I was last to be chosen for netball and rounders :tears: Sensibly, in my adult life I have chosen sports where there are no balls :eek: like pot-holing, cycling and sailing .

I feel so much less odd after reading all this :hug:

ZW :flower: (yeah I know I am still odd)
We can be Queen and Princess of odd :wink:

Like ZW I've always been fairly rubbish at ball sports - except Rugby where you can tuck the ball under your arm and run. I've always preferred non-ball sports like combat sports, sailing and dancing - I wonder if there's more left-handed sailors out there. If handedness makes a difference to how you sail a boat, maybe there should be a change of helm or trim when you're on port or starboard. I'm usually on the bow - which is mostly about mentality, getting very wet and staying on the boat no matter how hard the helm works at shaking you off :tears:

[Zebra Woman]

We can be Queen and Princess of odd :wink:


:yeah: :hug: :kiss: But I don't have to get my photo taken in other people's underwear do I Andy? :wink:



Like ZW I've always been fairly rubbish at ball sports - except Rugby where you can tuck the ball under your arm and run. I've always preferred non-ball sports like combat sports, sailing and dancing - I wonder if there's more left-handed sailors out there. If handedness makes a difference to how you sail a boat, maybe there should be a change of helm or trim when you're on port or starboard. I'm usually on the bow - which is mostly about mentality, getting very wet and staying on the boat no matter how hard the helm works at shaking you off :tears:

There are no balls to worry about, but I definitely notice a difference sailing....

I can roll tack from Starboard to Port best as a helm. As a crew I find it's easier to attach a spinnaker pole when we're on Starboard. But I would say being ambidextrous means the difference is less pronounced than it could be. :grin:

I have a fab book : Drawing On The Right Side Of The Brain

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1585421952/qid=1109077631/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_9_1/026-5972383-4042848

It has exercises that force you to use the right side of your brain, and when you do you find you can draw! :clap: The improvement in everyones drawing over just a few sketches is amazing. I wonder if there are any right brain exercises that could be used to improve our dancing?

Before this thread started I had already noticed a lot of my favourite partners are left handed. I have known several left handed beginners who were were very quick to learn and turned into really artistic gifted dancers.

Now I have just realised - a lot of my favourite right handed dancers are dyslexic, more than I would expect. I wonder if there is a link there too?

ZW :flower:

[Andy McGregor]

:yeah: :hug: :kiss: But I don't have to get my photo taken in other people's underwear do I Andy? :wink:
How about a photo of you standing next to other people's, cooling but still warm, scented underwear? :devil:

[Lynn]

Before this thread started I had already noticed a lot of my favourite partners are left handed. I have known several left handed beginners who were were very quick to learn and turned into really artistic gifted dancers. My partner is left handed, but he plays the guitar right handed. I wonder are left handed people more likely to be a bit ambidextrous because so many items are designed for right handed people so they develop their 'ambidextrous ability' more than right handed people do?

[Daisy Chain]

Bizarrely I iron with the ironing board set up for right handed, but use my left hand :confused:



Ooo, me too (sort of). Probably because my Mum who taught me to iron is right handed and and didn't give me an option, she set up the ironing board but I swap hands depending where on the board the iron is.

Gosh we Lefties are just so flexible...

Daisy

(A FAr Left Little FLower)

[cheeks]

My partner is left handed, but he plays the guitar right handed. I wonder are left handed people more likely to be a bit ambidextrous because so many items are designed for right handed people so they develop their 'ambidextrous ability' more than right handed people do?


Know exactly what you mean Lynn as a lefty I find that I don't see things as being designed left or right handed as it all appears natural to me as I was always surrounded by right handed people in my home and work.............................many friends or colleagues have taken quite a while to recognise I was left handed due to being ambidextrous I guess.........................i feel this is definately a learnt behaviour pattern . :flower:


Although I find myself occasionally turning items around after use as I realise others will think they are back to front...... :confused:



Cheeks. :flower:

[Andy McGregor]

Although I find myself occasionally turning items around after use as I realise others will think they are back to front...... :confused:Just recently I've noticed this with uncut bread (we've just found a great baker in the next village). When Sue's cut slices off the bread she leaves the cut end facing to the right and the knife on the right. I have to turn the bread around so I can cut it.

[baldrick]

Just recently I've noticed this with uncut bread (we've just found a great baker in the next village). When Sue's cut slices off the bread she leaves the cut end facing to the right and the knife on the right. I have to turn the bread around so I can cut it.
I've the habit of turning the spoon and fork round when I sit down in a resturant. Seems to get a lot of staff in trouble cause the head waiter thinks they did it wrong :blush:

[Dance Demon]

My Dad was naturally left handed when he was a child, but was forced to change by his teacher, who used to rap his knuckles with a ruler if he used his left hand to write. He had really lovely handwriting. When he was in his early 60s, he suffered a stroke, which paralysed the right side of his body. Normally, if a stroke affects the right side, loss of speech also occurs, but this was not so with my dad. I later watched a documentary about stroke patients, and discovered that in right handed people the part of the brain that controls speech, is in the left hand side of the brain. If the blood clot dispersal is in the left hand side of the brain, the right side of the body is affected, along with loss of speech. In left handed people the voice control comes from the right side of the brain. This explained why my dad's speech was not affected...because he was originally left handed. Despite being left handed originally, he had great difficulty in reverting back to writing with his left hand after having his stroke.

[Lory]

My son was made to choose which hand he used, as he didn't show a natural preference by the time he started school, which ended in a lot of confusion. :confused: e.g. ~snip~
He ended up choosing his right hand with the help of various 'experts' :rolleyes:
He's naturally left footed, eats with what ever hand he happens to pick the knife and fork up with and cleans his teeth swapping hands for each side. :worthy:



We've just carried out this experiment, I dictated this simple sentence to Adam and asked him to write it with his left hand!

He had no forewarning. So, I think it shows he's probably ambidextrous too? :what:

[Gadget]

I used to draw with coloured pencils and had about six in my hands at the same time, swapping hands and which pencil depending on the colour I wanted. I still do it occasionally with paint brushes, but I havn't picked up one of those in years...

... need to get back to that :D

[baldrick]

We've just carried out this experiment, I dictated this simple sentence to Adam and asked him to write it with his left hand!

He had no forewarning. So, I think it shows he's probably ambidextrous too? :what:
My writing is generaly bad, irritatingly although slower right than left theres very little differace in style or quality :tears: