| Children who do not have a dominant hand are said to | | | | these crossing the midline, brain strengthening type |
| be cross dominant. Cross dominance also refers to a | | | | exercises have been used successfully by educators |
| condition where the person's dominant eye, ear, foot, | | | | and therapist to help learning. There are several |
| or hand are not on the same side. There is some very | | | | centers across the United States that use exercises |
| good evidence that being cross dominant can cause | | | | such as these as well as balancing exercises to |
| cognitive problems. A recent study has linked a lack of | | | | strengthen cerebellum brain functioning. Programs such |
| hand dominance to ADHD. Is being ambidextrous really | | | | as the Dore Method program have been found by |
| a liability? Can it be treated? Some scientists feel that | | | | experts such as Dr. Edward Hallowell, who wrote |
| treatment for cross dominance is a waste of time | | | | Delivered from Distraction to help with reading and |
| while others claim that cross dominance can be | | | | attention. The science regarding how or why these |
| corrected. | | | | exercises help, however, has lagged behind the use of |
| There has been a fair amount of skepticism | | | | these interventions. |
| surrounding both vision therapy for cross dominance | | | | Scientist are learning only now of the role that the |
| and other therapies that propose to address the | | | | cerebellum plays in cognition. Recent research has |
| problems associated with cross dominance. Some | | | | revealed that prefrontal cortex connections to the |
| people describe cross dominance treatment as a | | | | cerebellum are involved in eye movements and motor |
| pseudo-science. The reason that this treatment has | | | | coordination. The may also be involved in memory, |
| come into question is because there have been | | | | focus, and learning. The prefrontal cortex is the part of |
| attempts from profiteers to define this phenomena | | | | the brain in charge of memory, learning, and other brain |
| and treat it using interventions, such as neurolinguistic | | | | executive functions. Symptoms of ADHD are thought |
| programming training, which are quite costly and have | | | | to be related to problems in the prefrontal cortex. |
| been found to offer no benefit whatsoever. | | | | Recently, researchers have begun to look into the |
| Visual therapist and Occupational Therapist work with | | | | anatomical connections between the cerebellum and |
| people who are cross dominant or who have | | | | the cerebral cortex and speculate that these |
| difficulties crossing the midline using exercises such as | | | | connections might be faulty and contribute to the |
| slapping your right knee with your left hand or using | | | | symptoms of ADHD. |
| square dance like activities where you swing the right | | | | Symptoms of ADHD are often identical to the |
| side of your body left and your left side of your body | | | | symptoms seen in mixed dominance and vision |
| right. Windmill exercises where your right hand touches | | | | problems. Children with these difficulties can have short |
| your left foot and then your left hand touches your | | | | attentions spans, daydream in class, often have |
| right foot are also used. Some therapist use | | | | coordination problems, and often have poor |
| hula-hoops exercises for treatment. My son had an | | | | handwriting. These problems can be caused by cross |
| exercise where he had to make large figure 8s on a | | | | dominance issues, sensory integration issues, |
| white board. I, and my son, believe that the vision | | | | convergence difficulties, or a combination of all of |
| therapy and occupational therapy exercises that he | | | | these issues. They can also be caused by ADHD. |
| did, helped him on a number of fronts. His letter | | | | It is critical that individuals with ADHD be evaluated for |
| reversals were better, he had fewer headaches when | | | | problems which could be corrected with vision or |
| he had to do math workbook pages, and his focus | | | | occupational therapy. These vision and cross |
| improved. | | | | dominance problems could have a causal relationship |
| There have been no studies that show that these | | | | to ADHD but even if they don't, they can clearly |
| exercises help strengthen the brain hemisphere | | | | worsen the symptoms of ADHD. |
| connection problems of cross dominant individuals but | | | | |