How do you know if you're left handed or right when it comes to signing?

Jonathan B.

Jonathan B.

New Member
Joined
Dec 10, 2017
Messages
8
Reaction score
0
Hope this isn't a crazy question and makes sense lol. But I'm new to signing and I was wondering how do people determine which hand to sign with? I'm a lefty so I write and do most things with my left and occasionally some sports. However I noticed most ppl sign with their right hand and didn't know if it mattered which hand I used. I grew up playing violin which is something you had to learn how to use right handed because most were made that way. But I didn't know if signing had the same exception.

Thanks!
 
Use your dominant hand, left or right, it doesn't matter. You can learn how to sign on both hands but it's more important to be consistent. Stick with one hand throughout the conversation (don't switch back and forth). Save the other hand for emergencies, like when your dominant hand/arm is broken.
 
I'm right handed and that is my dominant hand. I've seen other people who are right handed use their left as their dominant hand. I just don't know how they fingerspell with their non-dominant hand. I don't have that level of control over my left hand. So, like Reba said. It doesn't matter which one you choose as you dominant hand. Just pick one and use it consistently.
 
Choose a hand to be your dominant hand and stick with that. There are people who with one hand but prefer to sign with the other. Consistency is the key, however, visual it is very distracting to watch someone switch hand constantly during a conversation. I sign with my right hand. Generally, I only switch to my left hand if I am hold something in my right hand, I have injured my right hand or if someone is sitting on my right side I might fingerspell with my left hand to make it easier to see.
 
Yep, I echo that to use your dominant hand. There's no right or wrong way. However I'm ambidextrous, so I switch sometimes, although not usually during a conversation. It's usually either one or the other each time.
 
Echoing the above.

I'm right handed but can easily switch between left and right when signing, but as AC said.. just not in the same conversation.

Normally it is the dominant hand you use for most other things but there are exceptions.. my father is left handed but he fingerspells and signs (very basically lol) with his right hand. He says he has also bowled with his right (and I think shoots...) among other things. It's something about how his brain 'sees' things...has no idea how to do or what to do with his left hand when presented with some tasks.

But then my family is a bunch of wiseasses and goofy. I always wondered what hand my grandfather would have used if he signed- he was naturally a lefty but forced to be a righty in school so was ambidextrous all his life.
 
I'm ambidextrous and I just picked the hand I normally write with, which is my right. I do catch myself switching every now and then, but I try to stick with my right.
 
My right hand is dominant but I am ambidextrous in some situations such like eating, drinking, driving or holding something in hand. I remember when some old woman in deaf club cavilled at me that I signed with left hand and I was surprised I did that as I was not aware of it :)
 
I'm ambidextrous and sign right handed most of the time. It picked it as a little because most models I see sign righty and I figured it would be easier to sort out. However, an old injury in my right wrist makes it painful to do fine motor skills sometimes. Therefore, when I am signing with people and my wrist is bothering me I inform them I need to switch and then commit to being lefty. It works well for people who know me and about my wrist issue, but I don't know how well it would work for new people I meet.
 
my right hand is more dominant my left just goes with the flow when it wants :D
 
I've noticed a lot of people say they're ambidextrous. Is that common in people who sign?
 
Back
Top