Dyspraxia and no sense of direction

[Arise]

Does anyone else have symptoms of dyspraxia and/or poor or no sense of direction e.g. when walking or driving. Just the other day I got lost driving when I missed a turn and I wasn't that far from my home, I cant seem to connect or relate routes/roads to a bigger map. Im not much different from the person mentioned in this story: http://http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/painter/2008-10-19-your-health_N.htm

Also I find driving a car in general mentally taxing but especially in traffic. Even after driving for over a year I still make silly mistakes such as mis-shifting the gears, moving off in 3rd gear and getting confused when lanes split. When I now think about my life I seem to have many problems that are associated with dyspraxia, heres a few that come to mind:

Not learning how to swim, despite going to swimming classes when young

Can ride a bicyle but only just (poor balance on taller bicyles)

Took over 90hrs of driving lessons before I passed my driving test

Generally slow with learning with tying shoe laces and ties (poor motor skills)

Problems when standing for a long time since childhood

Generally slow with learning new things including remedial classes for reading/langauge

Now I know some of these things are normal but it would be interesting to see if other people have the same issues or similar ones.

 

[taniaaust1]

Wow thanks.. I just looked it up and now wonder if I have this. I have Asperger's so had put issues down to that

Difficulties with fine motor co-ordination lead to problems with handwriting, which may be due to either ideational or ideo-motor difficulties. Problems associated with this area may include:

Learning basic movement patterns.[14]
Developing a desired writing speed.
The acquisition of graphemes e.g. the letters of the Latin alphabet, as well as numbers.
Establishing the correct[dubious discuss] pencil grip
Hand aching while writing.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Developmental_dyspraxia

I never was able to learn to hold a pencil/pen correctly. I used to get into so much trouble at school for holding my pencil wrongly.. to hold it correctly.. my hand really aches and it isnt a natural way for me to hold it.. Im weak and wobbly with aching hand like that so just cant hold pen correctly to write.

Issues with gross motor coordination mean that major developmental targets including walking, running, climbing and jumping can be affected.

I can run but often have a kind of funny run. I cant do like a smooth run like most can, running has never felt coordinated and natural (even didnt feel right when I used to do long distance running as a child).

Took over 90hrs of driving lessons before I passed my driving test

sighs.. me too. I went throu my father trying to teach me, my boyfriend trying to teach me.. and still couldnt even drive in a straight line!!

I then went throu so many driving lessons (went throu 2 different driving instructors) and was told she'd never had to give anyone as many lessons as me (I had over 60 lessons with the professional instructors after everyone else had given up on trying to teach me to drive).

It got to the point where that last driving instructor gave up on giving me more lessons and told me to go for my test anyway as I'd just either pass or fail it.

Then during my actual driving test, I got confused with left and right and hence turned a corner and drive up the wrong side of the road!!! on realising Id driven into the wrong lane.. I freaked it and threw the breaks on and the assessor would of been thrown throu the window had he not had a seatbelt on, before he could do anything I then hit reverse. That happened after my disasterous 3 time attempt to reverse park in which I kept ended up on the footpath (I didnt end up during the assessment managing to reverse park).

I dont know how it happened but he still gave me my licence, there is no way I can see how I actually passed it due to those things.. (maybe cause he felt sorry for me?.. Im sure my driving instructor must of told him how many lessons I'd had? or maybe he thought I was driving so bad due to nerves of being assessed or something?.. as no driving instructior would usually send someone such a bad driver to go for the test.

I was bawling so much after I almost gave the poor assessor whiplash and he didnt want me to drive him around anymore after that.

After he gave me my licence, I then took some very long distance trips right across Australia to learn how to drive straight. (It took me 3 years before I could stay easily in my own lane!!).

Problems with spatial awareness, or proprioception.
Some people with dyspraxia have difficulty in determining left from right.
Cross-laterality, ambidexterity, and a shift in the preferred hand are also common in people with dyspraxia.
People with dyspraxia may also have trouble determining the distance between them and other objects.[16]

I just couldnt tell the distance between the car I was driving and the side and middle of the road etc.. Hence my very wonky driving in trying to stay driving straight and with parking for years.

ohhh this dyspraxia does explain those issues. It bugs me that I have had issues my whole life which werent medically picked up.

 

[Arise]

I really enjoyed reading that story Tania. At least you have a cool story to tell people:Retro smile:

Since hearing about dyspraxia I have been intrigued by it, although some might say it is just another label for stupidity or clumsiness, I find it somewhat comforting to know that I am not the only one that has difficulties with such things.