I am a left-hander. Like most people in this category, my parents initially saw me as different and encouraged me to become right-handed. However, they soon accepted that this was simply who I was. Once the matter was settled, I began receiving comments about my intelligence and verbal skills, often being compared to the right-handed majority. But is there any truth to these claims, or are they just the perception of the majority?Left-handed people, also known as "lefties" or "southpaws," make up about 10% of the global population. Historically, left-handers were viewed as outcasts. During the Middle Ages, they were even accused of witchcraft and banished from society. As recently as the 20th century, many educators forced left-handed students to retrain their natural tendencies. Even the scientific community believed that left-handedness resulted from minor brain damage during early development. All these myths have since been debunked, but what does neuroscience say? Researchers have found that while right-handed people may have slightly higher IQ scores on average, the difference is negligible. In the journal Neuroscience Biobehavioral Rev 2018, a systematic review and meta-analysis of 36 studies involving 66,108 individuals, examined whether handedness influences intelligence. The findings suggest that left-handers and right-handers generally have similar IQ scores. While some studies reported minor statistical differences favoring right-handers, the effect size was too small to be meaningful. Moreover, when the largest study was excluded, the significance disappeared. The analysis also found no IQ differences between right-handers and non-right-handers (including ambidextrous individuals) or between genders.Moreover, those whose left hand is dominant are better at taking verbal cues. A study published in Brain in 2019 examined genetic differences between left and right-handers. Analyzing data from approximately 400,000 individuals, scientists discovered that the left and right hemispheres of the brain were better connected in left-handers, particularly in regions associated with language. These traits suggest that left-handed individuals may have superior verbal skills.Does Brain Structure Differ?Yes, anatomically, the brain structure differs in left and right-handers. A large study from the UK Biobank dataset found that left-handers had lower surface area asymmetry in the anterior insula, fusiform, anterior middle cingulate, and precentral cortices and reduced leftward thickness asymmetry along postcentral gyrus than adult right-handers.This difference could pose several challenges for children if not adults. Left-handed children may face several learning challenges due to their unique brain structure and the predominantly right-handed design of educational tools and environments. Some common challenges include:Writing and HandwritingLeft-handed children often find it difficult to write smoothly due to the way they need to position their hands. This can lead to smudging ink and difficulty seeing what they've written, potentially affecting their handwriting quality.Scissors and ToolsMany tools, such as scissors, are designed for right-handed use, making them difficult and sometimes uncomfortable for left-handed children to use effectively.Spatial OrientationActivities that require spatial orientation, such as reading maps or certain types of puzzles, can be more challenging for left-handed children. This can sometimes be attributed to the way their brains process spatial information.Social and Cultural ChallengesLeft-handed children might feel different or singled out, especially if their left-handedness is seen as a curiosity or anomaly in their social circles. This can impact their self-esteem and confidence.