From the moment the brain starts growing in the womb and up to about age two, brain development is concentrated on the right side. This is a vulnerable period of time for the brain, as it is particularly susceptible to negative environmental influences. Anything that interferes with prenatal development, the birthing process, or healthy growth during the first two years of life can affect how the right brain grows. This is probably the major reason why a right brain deficiency is more common than a left brain deficiency.
Children with right hemisphere deficits don’t feel their bodies well. They have poor muscle tone, especially of the large postural muscles near the spine. The most glaring symptom is an odd gait. They will also have delayed and poor gross motor skills, including poor balance, rhythm, and coordination. This means they will trip and fall a lot for no good reason. This oddness can also be noted in their social skills. They may say inappropriate things without understanding why they are wrong. They often have a hard time making friends. These kids are usually very picky eaters and avoid foods because they don’t have a normal sense of smell or taste; they don’t eat foods that kids normally like, especially sweets. When considering right brain versus left brain, the right brain is about reading people and situations but the left brain is about reading words. So, when children do not develop the right brain’s nonverbal skills, it makes learning verbal skills diffcult or even impossible.
Children with right brain deficiencies may be good at reading words but will not be good at interpreting what they are reading. They may also be good with numbers but be bad at higher-level math skills. Children with right hemisphere weaknesses have poor attention; they are impulsive, anxious, and also tend to be compulsive. They may display unusual or inappropriate giddiness, or they may have out-bursts of anger when they get frustrated. Autoimmune disorders, such as allergies and asthma, often go hand in hand with a right brain imbalance. These children are often very sensitive to the environment, certain foods, and may have a number of con-tact allergies. When the right side cannot suppress the immune system, it can cause inflammation in the body and brain. This can become chronic. These children will have poor digestion. A rapid heartbeat is also common.
Right brain deficiencies are often diagnosed as: ADD/ADHD, Asperger’s syndrome, Autism, Tourette syndrome, Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), Nonverbal learning disorder (NLD), Pervasive developmental disorder (PDD), Developmental coordination disorder (DCD), and Conduct disorder (CD).
Difficulties that may involve the right brain: Problems with visual memory, Trouble with facial recognition, Lack of flexibility, Struggles with comprehension and problem solving, Issues with understanding emotions, Lack of spatial awareness, Difficulty with visual learning, Creative difficulties
