A prospective study of hand preference and language development in 18‐ to 30‐month olds: I. hand preference

Abstract
The time at which hand preference is established has long been of interest to developmentalists. In a prospective longitudinal study of 49 children (27 boys, 22 girls) an 11‐item hand preference inventory was given at 18, 24, and 30 months. At 18 months, nearly 75% of boys and girls had a clear hand preference (right or left); 73% of girls and 59% of boys were right‐handed. Evaluation of the stability of handedness showed that 60% to 70% of children maintained the same hand preference from 18 to 30 months of age. The results suggest that handedness is determined by at least 18 months and that preference for the same hand is retained 1 year later.

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