Dyspraxic Adults

I didn't know I had dispraxia when I started taking my driving lessons in a normal driving school with a pissed off trainer. After a taking lessons for a while I realized there has to be something wrong with me to not be able to drive properly. At first I thought it is because I don't have common sense and I got frustrated and angry with myself.

Actually I can drive, when there is no one to supervise my driving or no one to shout at me, even not in the smoothest way.

One day I surfed the web to see if there is something to describe what is wrong with me and found out about dyspraxia. But it was too late to giveup my driving lessons. So I kept going.

Today I had my driving test and I failed it.I was deadly scared, sweating, trembling and panicked. It happened when reversing. I managed to reverse the vehicle properly then the examiner asked me to take the vehicle back to the lane and I turned the vehicle too much so it hit a post at the corner. Thinking back about it now I don't even remember how I even managed to reverse the vehicle properly. I felt like I was in a seizure.

I'm going to try again. But I don't know how I can convince my parents what is wrong with me as for where I am from, people doesn't even know dyspraxia exists.

I failed 3 (maybe 4? I can't remember) times. You'll get there!

Hi Duplin

Hope you don't mind but I've corrected diving to Driving in the subject title. It is possible for you to edit your own posts you've written when you're logged in.

Visions of you turning up in mask wetsuit and flippers for a driving test are a bit odd but trying to drive wearing flippers may not be such an outlandish analogy? As Welshwizard said keep trying but maybe look for a better instructor who helps you feel more inspired and confident and relaxed.

Hi Duplin,
It reads like this is your first driving test, so please don't be downhearted. I'm with welshwizard in encouraging you to persevere. I failed my first test and it's quite common, even for neurotypical people, to fail the first time. I would argue that some of the people I know who passed first time were overconfident following their tests and had problems later on. You could say that failing once or twice broadens your experience before setting out on the road on your own. OK, for a dyspraxic that may be 3 or 4 times, but we're a determined bunch, are we not?
My first driving instructor shouted at me a lot and as you know, this is very offputting and discouraging. For my second test I had someone who was much calmer and I was able to pass. Whilst my driving is by no means perfect, I've been at it for 39 years now and have had a clean licence throughout.
Good luck next time.
Tim

Hello there.
I actually failed my driving test for the second time. This time I managed to reverse the vehicle properly without panicking much. But when I had to drive along the road the examiner failed me for driving too much to the left side. My driving instructor said I was close to hit a vehicle or two parked on the left side, which I didn't even realized existed until he said so. I really thought I am keeping enough distance from them to not get hit. It was totally manageable in my point of view. But the examiner didn't think so.
I'm considering to not give this another try for a while. Maybe driving is really not my thing

The test is as much about phsychlogy and nerves. I think everyone feels a high amount of anxiety on a driving test and unfortunately this does not help your concentration.

I actually passed the driving test on my first attempt. That's not to brag, you see quite early on in my test after a couple of relatively minor errors I'd manage to convince myself that I had already failed. I was supremely confident this assessment, so much so that I actually calmed down. The nerves went and I relaxed. I was therefore then able to drive normally as though not being examined.

I was then actually quite surprised and obviously delighted at the end when the examiner congratulated me on passing.