Hi ......
My son is 5 and still not showing signs of a dominant hand , he swaps between both for everything , I'm starting to worry that his fine motor skills ( writing and drawing) are falling behind because of this constant swapping . Any help appreciate . Thanks
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6 Replies
This is quite common I wouldn't worry unless kindy or school have pointed out there is a problem and he isn't keeping up.
Children's writing a drawing is typically very messy at this age.
My sister and I are both close to ambidextrous. We dont have dominant hands for the fast majority of things we do although technically we are probably right handed. I can write with my left hand and my sister can write left handed and upside down and back to front.
If school has mentioned something or his work compared to others his age in his classroom seems to be not in line then see an occupational therapist.
Get a referral to an Occupational Therapist for assistance with this. They will be able to identify whether his gross and fine motor skills need any help.
I wouldn't worry or stress too much if he is showing the same level between hands.
Im ambidextrous and my parents stressed when I couldn't write as clearly as others when I was young, but that is because I was learning the skill to grip a pencil and control it to draw etc over both hands instead of just one hand.
Its totally normal. Keep up the art, colouring in and playing with chalk - they work out which hand is easier/neater to write with.
I would see an OT. My son saw an OT for other things and I believe it was her who said, when he was 3-4 ish years old, looks like he is going to be a lefty as he def favoured that side. I think they usually have a preferred side by 5, just get it checked out, it will make you feel better even if it is nothing. I also think generally, boys develop gross motor skills quicker and it takes them a while to catch up to the girls, fine motor wise.
Take him to an Occupational therapist for an assessment and some help
if required.
Talk to your GP for a referral to a private OT or if money is tight, go thru Community Health. Waiting time could be longer tho, but generally (in my area anyway in NSW) they prioritise early intervention (0-7 year olds). You might only need a couple of sessions then you do the stuff at home