Ambidextrous kids are 'more likely to have ADHD symptoms'
Date: 25/01/2010 / Category: Indoor play for schools and groups
Children who can write with both hands may perform worse at school and be more hyperactive during soft play than other kids, a recent study has suggested.
Researchers at Imperial College London found that ambidextrous youngsters are more likely to have behavioural problems and difficulty with learning.
The study of around 8,000 children found that mixed-handed seven and eight-year olds were twice as likely as those that are right-handed to perform badly in school.
It also found that, by age 15 and 16, mixed-handed adolescents were at twice the risk of having symptoms of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
"Mixed-handedness is intriguing," said Dr Alina Rodriguez, the lead researcher on the study from the School of Public Health at Imperial College London.
"We think that there are differences in the brain that might explain these difficulties but there needs to be more research," she added.
Children who are underperforming at school could be motivated to do better through the use of creative approaches to learning, such as lessons involving music or soft play, Patrick Leeson, director of education and care at Ofsted, recently suggested.
Posted by Michael Paige
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