United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

My son is ROBPI, he is 3 years old and is in preschool. He can cut with scissors with both hands, can do much with his right hand. So the question is when he takes a crayon, marker etc. with his left hand should I switch it to his right hand? Drs, educators, and therapist all say because of his shoulder movement problems it is not realistic for him to use his right hand effectively. What is your opinion? Right or left?

I am right obpi. I was reading and writing a bit before I started school. In school they would not allow me to write left-handed. So began one of the greatest ordeals for a small child. Forced to write with an injured hand that cramped and hurt and what a horrible handwriting... I had to work so hard to learn to write !!!! I also stopped reading in first grade because of it.

I always thought I was really a lefty and forced to do things with my right hand because the world is right handed and they felt it was better for everyone to be the same... On eye doctor said that my dominate eye showed that I was a lefty... My Mom said it was because of the injury.
I have Horner's yet no one ever mentioned it to me during any exam I ever had...
I use both hands because I was forced to write right handed and did developed quite a good handwriting --- I had small motor coordination in both hands. I write and paint right handed - put on make-up left handed and contact lenses - sew with either hand depending which arm is very tired.... I can paint on pottery with either hand... each hand has assigned tasks because I was trained to use both. I iron right handed... cut right handed... and can cut left handed (no left handed scissors when I was young) I have many left handed people in my family. So now I am not sure what I was supposed to be...
Since my eye was affected how can they really tell?
I come from a family of really great spellers and math people. I cannot spell. Just can't and it has haunted me. I do believe it comes from being switched from left to right handed, but will I ever really know?

He is very young and at his age many children use both hands to color etc... I think he needs to make his own choice for now as long as he can use both hands... Encourage him and allow him to try both hands.
Kath

I am so happy you responded. We have believed J.R. is right handed from birth. He has always attempted things with his right hand first. He teaches his left hand how to do the task and then stops using the right hand. He learned so quickly to do this because the left hand could do things faster and didn't get as tired as his right. Thank you for answering. I will continue to encourage both hands and let him choose. I don't want to force him to use his left if he thinks right and equally do not want to force the right if he can effectively teach his left hand how to do it.

I concur. Let him choose. He is too young to force him to use one side. By all means let him use both as he wants. He will figure out himself which one he wants to use to write with as he is older. I volunteered at my daughter's 4-5 yr old class at school last week and there was this child who used both hands for writing. It was amazing. They had to do what was called rainbow letters where they trace over letters with 3 diff colors. He would use the left hand a while. Then switch and do them with the right hand a while. So let your son explore and figure out which one he'll use.
Kelli

My son is 4 1/2 with a ROBPI.....he is left handed because of the injury but right handed by nature. We too encountered a preschool teacher that said he should learn to write with the right hand....after a few days of trying to teach him, she gave up and decided that he was a leftie.....he does do other things with both hands...he can even tie his shoes....

I have a 8 month old w/RBPI. The doctors always say "well I know one thing, he will be left handed". My DD 3yrs.old is a leftie. Also, I talked to a psychiatrist who said that at suck a young age, their brains can "re-wire" themselves to be lefthanded. I definately do understand though that there is a difference between Lhanded and Rhanded people. SO I'd say be flexible. My daughter uses both hands for somethings. Depending on the day.
Sarah

yes, I agree, be flexible and let the child lead as to which is best
just my opinion tho

yes always give the child the option to choose for himself then when you start see a preference, even if its not 100%, but more often one hand than the other, then you can start encouraging that side if you see switching. But I agree w/ everyone else that it can be very frustrating to use an arm that is not cooperating! If it's not innervated it's not innervated - it's not that they don't WANT to use that hand. So go with your gut if you think the switching is due to fatigue, it might be ok to give that arm a rest.

Kath, just wondered if you ever checked to see which is your dominant foot? (unless your legs were affected also - that whole chain-reaction thing, you know) But try this: you'll probably have to have someone else watch you when you're not thinking about it, or it will be hard to determine what happens naturally. But have them watch which is your lead foot when you begin walking or when you walk something like a balance beam (a curb or a line). Maybe that will help solve the mystery! Your dominant foot, eye, and hand should all be the same side - unless of course you've got other problems....!!! (just kidding)

Hope this helps

Kath,
Just to let you know I am not a bp, and am horrible at spelling, but great at math. I also come from a family strong in spelling and history - I have no memory for either discipline. My standardized test scores were often almost double in math what they were in verbal, even though my grades were fine. I often call my Mom a "spelling snob" because she loves to correct me (lol). Anyway, just to let you know that it might not be related to your bp...

Tina

Sarahmae,
Not all kids brains rewire themselves...My son is 13 and still has hard times with writing....He's still right handed eventhough he's had this injury since birth....I would encourage all kids with a BPI to learn to type at a young age.
T.