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| Left-handers
in a right-handers’ world Our brain is "cross-wired" so that the left hemisphere controls the right-hand side of the body and vice-versa. Hand dominance, however, is connected with brain dominance on the same side. The left hemisphere of the brain controls speech, language, writing, logic, mathematics and science while the right hemisphere that controls the right side of the body controls music, creativity, emotions and art. Thus there is a belief that right brain dominance makes left-handers more creative than right-handers. Charlie Chaplin, Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Marilyn Monroe and Jimi Hendrix are some well-known left-handers. Left-handers are also good at most ball sports as it involves hand-eye coordination. Thus it's no surprise that cricket greats Sanath Jayasuriya, Brian Lara and Sachin Tendulkar are left-handed. Most left-handers are however, clumsy and awkward when forced to use right-handed tools and machinery, which are completely back-to-front for them. The scissor, computer mouse, violin, ATM machines and corkscrews, could make a left-handed person feel uncomfortable. So how early does one detect one’s handedness ? Pediatrician Dr. Neelani Ekanayake says that when doctors examine newborns, they check if the baby moves her arms and legs equally on both sides. "If one side doesn't move as well as the other, or if the reflexes are much stronger on one side, it could be a sign that the brain did not form normally or that there's damage to the brain either before or during the birthing process," says Dr. Ekanayake. It's important that newborns do not show a strong preference for their right or left hand. However, observant parents may notice that their infants tend to hold one hand more fisted than the other, wave one arm more vigorously, or lie with their head turned to one side more than the other. Dr. Ekanayake adds that a greater percentage of infants, 60-70 % turn their heads to the right more often. "Those who turn to the left are somewhat more likely to grow up as left-handers." Studies have shown, she explains, that at 4-6 months, babies hold a rattle for longer in their right hands than in the left. And sometimes between 6-9 months, most begin to show clear preference for reaching for a toy with their right hand, regardless of whether the toy is placed on the right or left sides. "What's interesting, though, is that while infants seem to prefer one side to another, they are not absolute about it," adds the doctor. Between 12 -18 months, most infants are able to hold a toy in one hand. About 70% hold the toy in their left hand and manipulate it with their right. About one in seven manipulate with the left, and about the same number don't show a clear preference. "By age 3 or 4, most children are doing a lot more complex fine-motor activities, such as drawing, writing, stringing beads, and cutting with scissors, so that their handedness becomes much more evident," explains Dr. Ekanayake. She stresses that a 4-year-old who has not yet shown a hand preference may have less mature muscle control and coordination generally. She described how through the first three or four years, a child will probably use both hands for most things, such as picking things up, throwing, and stacking; "but you may notice a preference for one side or the other that seems to grow stronger over time." An early preference for the left doesn't mean that the child will necessarily end up left-handed, however. If an infant tends to lie with the head to one particular side or look at one hand more than the other, Dr. Ekanayake emphasized that it's only a cause for concern "if you notice that the child only uses one side, or if one side moves much less or seems much weaker than the other." Dr. M.U.P.K Peiris, Senior lecturer in Psychiatry at the Medical Faculty, Ragama adds that a person writing with the left hand does not mean that he is left-handed. According to him, when it comes to really understanding handedness, one must do few more tests, such as testing one's eyes. The most commonly used method for identifying a left-hander is to see which hand is used to write and eat. "But there are people who write with their right hands who are not actually right-handed," says the doctor. Dr. Stanley Coren in his book The Left-Hander Syndrome says that to accurately determine handedness, the method is to ask people about their hand preference in various specific "skilled" activities.Many parents try to force left-handers to switch to the right hand particularly for writing. "Converting left-handers to right hand users can be painful, physically and mentally as they might feel interior to others," says Mrs. Godrey Perera, a pre-school teacher. " The main thing is to make the child comfortable, and persuading a child to use the hand he does not prefer, could cause difficulty in learning." She revealed that some of the converted left-handers, sometimes get confused with mirrored characters like "2"/"S", "b"/"d", etc. Handedness according to Dr. Coren can also be hereditary. Questions like "Why does handedness exist?" Is handedness inherited?" and"Do lefties die younger?" still remain mysteries. Socially, however, it seems that the overwhelming majority of right-handers has resulted in a right-hand-biased society. when
to seek help "If you have concerns, for example,about your preschool-age child having trouble with cutting or holding a crayon or pencil, it's wise to speak with a physiologist or consider arranging an assessment by an occupational therapist," says Dr. Ekanayake. Forum
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