At five my son was still ambidextrous. He could use both hands equally well to write but handwriting was sloppy with both and he couldn't draw very well or color in the lines very well or button his shirt and he refused to do puzzles unless they were online versions. The teacher had him just use his right hand for writing and he writes a little better now with his right hand.

To help with fine motor issues, I put him in piano lessons and told the piano teacher that he had hypotonia and fine motor problems. He played piano with both hands equally well and he will probably finish level 3 in a few months. Even now, he will occasionally play the right hand notes with the left hand or the left hand notes with the right. I told the OT about that and the fact that he sometimes still reversed letters (he didn't the day she tested him though) and that we sometimes joked that it must be "misfiring neurons." She said that is exactly what it is and that she thinks sensory integration therapy for his vestibular and proprioceptive issues will help him. He has only had two OT sessions so far so it is too early to tell if it will help him.

One doctor told us that my son might have had mild birth asphyxia when the cord was wrapped around his neck. My husband said his heartbeat slowed down to the point where he could no longer hear it and they had to use forceps to deliver him quickly. I believe my son's problems are related to this, but the developmental pediatrician said we would not be able to prove it. My son seemed normal when I was pregnant and I did not have any problems during the pregnancy. The only thing I noticed different about him was that he startled more easily than my daughter. If there was a loud noise, like dropping a pan, or if I turned on the vibrator on my vibrating recliner he had more of a reaction than my daughter. He kicked as much as my daughter did if not more. She didn't have any of these problems and most of my family is athletic. When my son learned about DNA and heredity several years ago he wanted to know if he was a genetic mutation so we told him what we thought was the reason for his physical difficulties. I am thinking about taking him to a neurologist even though the developmental pediatrician said he probably wouldn't be able to tell us for sure what caused my son's issues.