Mixed Dominance...Now what?

[Kelly in WI]

After doing a few little tests (looking through a hole and writing lower case letters), I am 99% sure that my son has mixed dominance. He writes and kicks with his right side. His dominant eye is his left eye. When he was writing, at first his "o's" were written correctly (clockwise), but then after I had him write the alphabet in lower case, I asked him to write me 3 "o's", all of which were written counter clock wise. About half his letters were written correctly, but the others were not.

This is a child that takes forever to do anything with handwriting. It was observed that in a setting with other kids his age, he was the last one finished...by a long shot. He is physically tired after writing a lot.

He is also very much an auditory learner. He can remember almost anything he hears. He loves to listen to books on tape and can sit there for hours.

So...Now What?

[Esther-Alabama]

If it were me, I would do the Dianne Craft exercises included in her Therapy Manual. I did the handwriting 8's exercises with great success. It takes time and it is not a magic cure, but it for sure helped my ds. The manual costs almost $20 and it is easy to use.

You could probably also get some help from an OT. Your pediatrician can give you a referral.

[Lisalyn]

Just curious....

What problems does mixed dominance cause?

Asking for myself. Left handed, right footed (:D ), right eye dominant, left ear dominate. :crazy:

[Katherine in CA]

Lisalyn, here's a great site on mixed-dominance issues:

http://www.katherinebell.com/HS%20Mixed%20Dominance.htm

Mixed dominance can cause:

People with mixed dominance often display certain characteristics, which can include any/all of the following (this is lifted directly from my NACD parent training seminar notebook):
emotionality,
inconsistent retrieval of information,
forgetfulness,
tendency to shut down under pressure,
poor test-taking skills,
reversals,
outbursts of anger,
good memory for trivia,
easy to upset but difficult to calm down.

Kelly, if it were my child, I'd run to the nearest Christian neurodevelopmentalist to get an evaluation, an individualized program, and to be trained on how to work with him at home:

http://www.icando.org/ican.htm

Praying! :group:

[Lisalyn]

Lisalyn, here's a great site on mixed-dominance issues:

http://www.katherinebell.com/HS%20Mixed%20Dominance.htm

Mixed dominance can cause:

People with mixed dominance often display certain characteristics, which can include any/all of the following (this is lifted directly from my NACD parent training seminar notebook):
emotionality,
inconsistent retrieval of information,
forgetfulness,
tendency to shut down under pressure,
poor test-taking skills,
reversals,
outbursts of anger,
good memory for trivia,
easy to upset but difficult to calm down.



Katherine,
Wow. That explains a lot. From your list, I identify with six.
:unsure:

[Gwen in Texas]

I agree with the advice to find a neurodevelopmentalist. :yes:

[Shannon P]

I'm mixed dominant, right handed and left eyed, and I'm not convinced it is a learning disability in and of itself. Our developmental optometrist(s) address learning disabilities, and do not subscribe to that theory of hemispheric dominance.

I guess I'm confused as to why a clockwise circle is correct. For a right hander, making clockwise circles would be unnatural, as well as incorrect for letter formation (which is defined by the right handed majority.) Did the test demand that the circles be clockwise? Several lower case letters are formed beginning with a counter clockwise movement (c, o, a, d, g, q) so it would make sense that a right hander would continue making counter clockwise circles, which is the more natural movement for them anyway, after writing the lower case alphabet.

I also think don't think it's necessarily indicative of a developmental problem for handwriting to be slower for boys <10 years old than it is for girls.

If you have concerns about his fine motor skills, especially if he is frustrated by his own ability or your concern carries over into other fine motor activities such as drawing or legos, then I would pursue an evaluation by an OT. Dianne Craft is an inexpensive place to start in the meantime, and might help you decide whether or not to pursue further evaluation.