Left Brain vs. Right Brain

The results of the fMRI are in. Based on the findings, S functions primarily with the left side of his brain. Very little, to almost none, of functioning is completed on the right side of his brain. New information - very little taken in. He showed zero response to novel concepts. Additionally, I was told that what is taken in, comes in slower than 'normal' and comprehension about 20% below the norm.


I am dazed and confused right now, I will be honest. Oh, and did I mention that, clinically, S has Asperger's AND a non-verbal learning disability. Yeah, he does. Am I surprised? Not really, but I guess part of me was holding out hope that we wouldn't be told this.


There were all kinds of medical lingo thrown around this morning, and my poor wee non-medical brain is having quite the time absorbing all of this. I've done some Internet searching - as I am prone to do - and have found a few websites that might be able to help me understand a bit further.


One website, called Wired, has a pretty good summary about the left and right functions of the brain. It told me,

"The left hemisphere handles sequence, literalness, and analysis. The right
hemisphere, meanwhile, takes care of context, emotional expression, and
synthesis."

This site also has a very interesting 'diagram' of the human brain and 'how' it functions:

Knowing S, when I saw this summary of which side of the brain controls certain things, it certainly explains some things:

Left brain functions

sequential
analytical
verbal
logical
linear algorithmic processing
mathematics: perception of counting/measurement
present and past
language: grammar/vocabulary, literal

Right brain functions
simultaneous
holistic
imagistic
intuitive
holistic algorithmic processing
mathematics: perception of shapes/motions
present and future
language: intonation/accentuation, prosody, pragmatic, contextual

S is very literal in all that he does. He is not able to conceptualize how his present actions will/can affect his future. He doesn't have a very good imagination - to come up with something new and unique is not his forte...

The main question now is - can it be 'fixed'? We ran out of time before the doctor was able to fully establish a therapy plan of attack, but this will be done with both him and I, via email for the next little bit. In the interm, I will continue to do research!