Left-handedness
Hi Rebecca,
I’m a pediatric occupational therapist and sensory specialist and I would like to comment regarding left handedness.
There is a tremendous amount of misinformation regarding left handedness. The information I will present to you is based on my experience as a health care professional who practices using evidenced based research in a school based setting.
Left handedness is a recessive genetic trait e.g. there must a parent, grandparent or great grandparent with left handedness for a child to demonstrate this trait.
Many children are entering the school system with what occupational therapists term “non-established dominance”, where the child generally demonstrates poor fine motor ability with both left and right hands using a variety of different tools (pencil, scissors).
The cause of non-established dominance is a poorly developed vestibular system, often caused by lack of necessary movement. Many children today are entering school without established foundation skills for printing, reading and paying attention due to excessive use of technology. At 8 hours per day technology use (our national average) elementary aged children are failing to reach developmental milestones necessary to attain literacy.
Call it Autism, ADHD, dyslexia or learning disability, or simply turn off the TV and unplug the videogames.
Have a GREAT day!
Sincerely,
Cris Rowan, BScOT, BScBi, SIPT, Approved Provider AOTA
CEO Zone’in Programs Inc.
6840 Seaview Rd.
Sechelt, BC V0N3A4
604-885-0986 office, 604-885-0389 fax, 604-740-2264 cell
email crowan@zonein.ca
website www.zonein.ca