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| |    Questions about Handedness by Robert Needlman, M.D., F.A.A.P. reviewed by Robert Needlman, M.D., F.A.A.P.
Not much acceptance in past These only seem like minor inconveniences, however, if you consider that in colonial America, lefties were actually thought to be witches and sometimes were consequently killed. Even in more recent times, being left-handed was a setup for conflicts with well-meaning teachers, who were bound to use harsh methods to "correct" your hand preference. Thankfully, there's more acceptance for differences now, but left-handers are different all the same. Countless questions The presence of these differences raises a host of questions. Why do we have handedness at all? After all, no other species of animal prefers one side of the body to nearly the extent humans do. What is the connection between handedness and other brain functions? Do left-handed people think any differently than right-handed ones? What about other biological functions, such as the immune system? As a pediatrician, I know that parents have a lot of questions about handedness. When should children begin to show a hand preference, and what does it mean if they are early or late doing so? How can you tell if your child is bound to grow up as a lefty, and what--if anything--can you do about it? Does it matter if you're left-handed yourself? Beyond the practical challenges--helping your child deal with scissors that simply don't work in the left hand, for example--what do you need to know as the parent of a left-handed child? Conflicting information There is also a lot of mythology and misinformation about left-handedness. Online and in the library, you can find a great variety of opinions and so-called facts, many of which are simply not accurate. In the articles that follow, I try to weed out the wilder claims and stick to information that seems more solid, acknowledging the many places where we still don't know enough. To start, you might want to look at What Is 'Handedness'?, followed by Handedness and the Brain and How Handedness Develops. Then take your pick among the other articles in this section, or send in a question of your own.
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