Ambidextrous Children at Higher Risk for Learning Problems

Ambidextrous children are more likely to have attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), problems with language and schoolwork, and other mental health issues than right-handed children, new research suggests.

Children are considered ambidextrous if neither hand is dominant, where they switch between using the right and left hands for activities such as eating or writing, or they use their right hand for certain activities and the left for others.

At age 8, children who were "mixed-handed" were twice as likely as right-handed children to have difficulties with schoolwork or language, such as with reading or their ability speak as well as their peers.

At age 16, mixed-handed children were twice as likely to have problems with language at school and scores on assessment tests indicating they likely had ADHD. Symptoms of ADHD include excessive fidgeting, inability to focus on a task or concentrate, impulsivity and poor school performance.

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