Hand preference and hand skill in children with autism.
Autistic kids pick a favorite hand less often than peers, but skill still follows choice—no need for strict hand-training.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Researchers watched how kids grabbed crayons, stacked blocks, and zipped coats. They noted which hand each child favored and timed how fast the hand worked. The group had kids with autism, kids with intellectual disability, and typical peers. No one got training; the team just measured natural use.
Tasks were short and play-based. Kids picked up coins, drew circles, and turned doorknobs. Staff scored strength, speed, and consistency of hand choice.
What they found
Children with autism switched hands more often. Their favorite hand was less clear than that of peers. Skill level still matched the hand they picked; ability did not split away from preference. No child showed a strange 'good left, bad right' break.
Kids with intellectual disability looked much like typical kids on hand choice. Only the autism group showed the wobbly pattern.
How this fits with other research
McGee et al. (1983) first saw left-side brain trouble in autism using neuropsych tests. Ghaziuddin et al. (1996) now show the same idea with simple hand tasks. The new data fit the old, just with easier tools.
McGee et al. (1983) also tested ears in dichotic listening. They found normal left-brain language dominance. That looks like a clash, but it is not. Language wires stay standard, while motor wires stay loose. Different systems, different rules.
Fleury et al. (2018) link poor dexterity to slow handwriting in teens with autism. The 1996 skill scores foreshadow this classroom problem. Check hand skill early; it may predict writing pain later.
Why it matters
You do not need a special laterality program. Just note if the child keeps swapping hands during table work. When you see lots of switches, add extra fine-motor reps instead of forcing a 'dominant' hand. Track speed and grip; weak scores today can flag handwriting trouble tomorrow. Share the quick hand-preference test with teachers so everyone uses the same comfort hand for writing tools.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Hand preference and hand skill was assessed in two broad age groups of children with autism, children with learning disabilities, and control schoolchildren. The first group comprised children ages 3-5 years and the second group of children ages 11-13 years. Degree of handedness remained relatively stable across age groups, particularly within the autistic and learning-disabled populations. The main difference was between the subject groups, with the normal controls more lateralized than either the children with autism or children with learning disabilities. As with degree of handedness, consistency of handedness also differed significantly between subject groups with the normal controls more consistent in their hand preference than the other two groups. In addition, younger children were less consistent in their hand preference than older children. However, the present study found no evidence of a dissociation of hand skill and hand preference in children with autism compared to children with learning disabilities and normal developing children.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 1996 · doi:10.1007/BF02172349