Left handedness

Post Reply New Topic

Hi, I'd like to know whether a higher proportion of people with Aspergers / autism spectrum are left handed than among people in general. I write with the left hand, and have quite a good handwriting when I'm not in a hurry, but for some unexplained reason I can only use my right hand to cut with a scissors or knife.

Left handedness is associated with creativity / intelligence. At one time it seems that children were forced to write with the right hand? - I heard this from my great uncle.

Yes. While everyone denies it including my parents I have CLEAR memories in grade 1 being told you HAVE to use your right hand to write with, same as how you HAVE to use a fork in your left. Until I heard about Aspergers, I assumed this was why I have absolutely atrocious handwriting. I was constantly corrected by my mother when I tried to use my left hand. Back when I was in elementary the church still ran the public schools so this would be a 'logical' explanation why. I was SHOCKED to find out of all the great people I admire, almost all of them were lefties. It wasn't some evil conspiracy but just the way thinks were done back then.

This would also explain why I'm one of the only baseball players who bats left (and only left) and throws right, at least in my age group. I can play tennis with either hand no problem.

No, I don't think so. I am right-handed, by brother with LFA is, and to tell the truth the 95% of the people with autism/AS I met in my life were right-handed, and this is just because the majority of the world population, without making a distinction between NTs and "neurodifferent" people, is right-handed. So, I don't think that the amount of left-handed people on the spectrum is bigger than the amount of left-handed NTs. If it was like this, reliable psychiatrists would have found that out long ago.

I don't know about this. I'm right-handed, but I'm intelligent (don't know if I am creative) and my brain seems to be more left-sided, since I only have the right-sided characteristics of being disorganized a visual learner.

King George VI was forced to write with his right hand - random piece of information I know Also, Jack the Ripper was supposedly left-handed, but I very much doubt you're going to visit Whitechapel and start murdering people
I read an article this week that the reason most people are right handed is due to co-operating in order to survive, here, I'll link the article, I think that's allowed under site rules?
http://theweek.com/article/index/227350 ... eft-handed

I don't think it's related. I'm semi-ambidextrous but I haven't noticed any difference in average handedness among the autistic population. It would be interesting and kind of exciting if I found out there was a connection though.

I've heard that left-handedness is more common in certain mental illnesses.

I'm not sure if the brain differences in Autism could also cause left handedness.

Also, among the LGBT community left-handedness is a lot more common.

It seems there may be some connection, somebody made a poll a while ago about this

http://www.wrongplanet.net/postt127938.html

Research that shows a link:

http://link.springer.com/article/10.100 ... 10?LI=true

If you follow the link, I think you get the full pdf.

Something I read a year or two ago seemed to indicate that while there right-handedness is genetic, left-handedness is not. Those who lack the gene can end up right-handed, left-handed, ambidextrous, or mixed-handed (do some things with your left hand, some with your right).

Not left-handed, but would be able to write with my left if it was necessary. It's not good handwriting, but it's legible. Sometimes I'll write with my left hand when I'm doodling, just to see how neat I can make it.

I'm a lefty. One of the more minute details I constantly pick up on (like other people remembering license plates) is (visually) checking (which hand they're using, which hand has a watch, etc.) if every single person I encounter is left or right handed.

I am lefty although there are certain things like use a mouse I usually do with my right hand like use a mouse on a computer.

I'm left dominant ambidextrous. Though I write with my right hand, because I was forced to growing up. I can't write as fast with my left, but I actually write more legibly.

I'd consider myself right dominant ambidextrous. I do many "dominant" tasks with my left hand, including simple motor skills, but I do everything else with my right.

I was about to say I'm right handed but I noticed that I've been using my left hand on the trackpad for the past 20 minutes while browsing WP so maybe I'm in the same boat as you Makayla

Do you do anything else with your left?

Born lefty, raised righty, now switch all the time.