Anyone here that sign with both hands rather than dominant hand?

Silentwolfdog

Silentwolfdog

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It's awkward for people who meet me for the first time. But eventually they get used to it.

I never met another person who does this like I did. I don't know why, sometimes I used wrong hand for everyday thing such as with fork and knife or playing sports that has stick (like bat or hockey stick) with wrong hand. Even recently I would have tennis racket jump into my left hand if I try to get to the ball at the last minute instead of doing backhand.

It's hard if I am trying to communicate with people for my internship because I don't want to make clients uncomfortable, but ending up make myself more uncomfortable and using left hand more than I wanted.

Even my sister told me that she remember me when I was little kid, I could not decide which hand to use to write or draw.

I know I got some left hand folks in my family but not my immediate family so ...

Do anyone have this issue too?

Is it possible for someone to have a minor ambidexterity than just plain ambidexterity? I still would want to use right because it got more strength, but sometimes I use left hand unconsciously. I wonder is it because my right hand is starting to get strained easily past few years? Or what?

I have only learned of this issue when I am in my college years when one of interpreter told me. Otherwise, I could have never notice it sooner.


One good thing that came out of it is that...recently I have learn I can eat with chopstick on left hand and fork on right hand.
 
I am starting to suspect that one of my students has that too. She is left handed with cutting, writing, eating, and throwing but when she signs, it seems like she doesnt have a "dominant' hand. I dont say anything cuz as long as I and others can understand her, it doesnt matter. At least I dont think so?
 
Oh. Is she aware of it?

I wish I could see another person doing this because I want to know what it's like for other people. It's hard to see yourself signing after all.
 
Silentwolfdog said:
Oh. Is she aware of it?

I wish I could see another person doing this because I want to know what it's like for other people. It's hard to see yourself signing after all.
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I can ask her on Monday..just hope I remember! LOL!
 
Silentwolfdog said:
Oh. Is she aware of it?

I wish I could see another person doing this because I want to know what it's like for other people. It's hard to see yourself signing after all.
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You could have someone video tape you.
 
Eh, I mean natural. Videotape would only make me nervous and that would throw the signing off.

If someone taped me without me knowing it, then that would work too. But the odds of that happening isn't too great. Lol.
 
Silentwolfdog said:
Eh, I mean natural. Videotape would only make me nervous and that would throw the signing off.

If someone taped me without me knowing it, then that would work too. But the odds of that happening isn't too great. Lol.
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I thought you were an interpreting student. Don't you get videotaped?
 
My old college roommate is a right-handed but she fingerspells with her left hand. I didn't realized it until she pointed it out. I guess the point I am trying to make is that it didn't make me uncomfortable.
 
Interpreting student? Eh no, I am deaf.

Who would tape me without me knowing? And for what reason? lol
 
I know someone who switches hands, for me I find it really hard, but that is because I am not a native signer, I am hearing. My ASL teacher notices the switching, but it doesnt bother her.
 
I'm a left-hander myself. When I teach signs, I confuse them to thinking that they "HAVE" to use their left hands to sign. I always tell them that I'm a left hander and they can use whatever hands they use and are most comfortable with. I just realized maybe that's why i have a hard time trying to get people to understand me because i'm left handed. hmm.. just now thought of this. I can understand both ways. or.. perhaps.. i sign lousy.. lol
 
Silentwolfdog said:
Interpreting student? Eh no, I am deaf.

Who would tape me without me knowing? And for what reason? lol
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I'm sorry; the internship and client statement confused me.

If you really want your signing analyzed the best way is to tape it and let impartial people view it. They don't have to tape you secretly or in a formal presentation but in a natural setting, while sitting around chatting with friends.
 
Ah, I am a student of social work major, so I have to do internship before I can grad. this December.

Someone watched me one time during my internship and told me if the clients want to be comfortable (well, I mean understand me very clearly) then I should try to use one hand only. However, that only would give me an opposite effects.

I should do that (your idea) one day.
 
It's possible your "problem" really isn't a problem at all. One of the meanings of ambidexteriety is "adaptability."

Although I write right-handed, I shoot a rifle left-handed because my best eye (master eye) is my left one. Despite most rifles being made for righties, for several years now (even in the military) instructors on the cutting edge know to let the shooter use his or her controlling eye. Most of us favor one or the other, and the test is simple for which one you favor.

For that reason, I adapt to bat as a lefty (best eye closest to the pitcher) but use a fork with my right hand.

Due to this natural crossing of these "boundaries," I kick left footed, but shoot a pistol with my right hand.

Since I can remember, I have always fingerspelled with both hands, depending on which one was free for the task. I also play handball, a sport where the ambidextrous excel. Ha ha ha, when I switch to racketball, I often switch the racket from hand to hand.

I know lots of folks who are both handed and switch smoothly from one hand to the other without a lot of problems.
 
Wow, that's interesting!

My left eye is a lot better than my right eye. Is that what master eye is? One that is less blurry or has less issues? If not, then what is master eye?

But doesn't that mean I should have hold the bat or hockey stick with right hand? Because left eye is closer if you are holding with right hand? Ahh, I am getting confused. =P

Also, I have hard time fingerspell letter "B" and "W" with my right hand. I doubt that is the reason I can fingerspell with left hand very well but...
 
Eye dominance may have nothing to do with which eye is stronger. Just as our dominant hands often become stronger, it's possible that the dominant eye will also become stronger. However, I'm really out of my field in that area, so you might get a better answer by asking your eye health care provider.

A simple self-test to tell which eye is dominant is to hold a rolled magazine or other tube (like one for toilet paper) with both hands straight out from your nose as far as you can reach. Keep both eyes open and find an object at least 20 feet away to center in the tunnel formed by the tube. Now, keeping the object centered in the tube, bring it to your face. The eye that the tube comes to naturally is your master eye.

The test is not only for shooting, but has other uses, for instance, which camera to buy (as many are made for right-eyed people only).

The word "sinister" is from the Latin for "left-handed," and for a long, long time it meant that lefties were "wrong-handed." It's not true. It's a preference coming from many factors, and you should not worry that you are following your natural preference in this matter.
 
I sign both handed sometimes. I was taught that it's best to be able to use both-- what if you have something in your dominant hand and can't use it? If I am signing in a conversation I will switch back and forth from "real" signs with right hand dominant to fingerspelling with left hand dominant. My grandfather is ambidextrous, I always blame him, haha.
 
Chase said:
It's possible your "problem" really isn't a problem at all. One of the meanings of ambidexteriety is "adaptability."

Although I write right-handed, I shoot a rifle left-handed because my best eye (master eye) is my left one. Despite most rifles being made for righties, for several years now (even in the military) instructors on the cutting edge know to let the shooter use his or her controlling eye. Most of us favor one or the other, and the test is simple for which one you favor.

For that reason, I adapt to bat as a lefty (best eye closest to the pitcher) but use a fork with my right hand.

Due to this natural crossing of these "boundaries," I kick left footed, but shoot a pistol with my right hand.

Since I can remember, I have always fingerspelled with both hands, depending on which one was free for the task. I also play handball, a sport where the ambidextrous excel. Ha ha ha, when I switch to racketball, I often switch the racket from hand to hand.

I know lots of folks who are both handed and switch smoothly from one hand to the other without a lot of problems.
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Glad to have kept reading down to your post, Chase, as that's exactly what I was going to say.

I'm ambidextrous. I predominately write right-handed, but everything else is a crapshoot! I can't snap my fingers on my right hand, but I can on my left. I clap left-handed, meaning my left hand does the slapping of my right hand.

The worst part: Not always knowing which is left and which is right... after 44 years of being alive! :giggle:

Yes, it makes signing a little difficult for me, but I'm still trying to keep it right-handed for the most part.
 
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