Dyspraxic Adults

i appear not to have any sense of direction at all. I can learn a route from one place to another but I can't go ' well it should be over there' and get there. Anyone else have the same trouble?

I remember going to an interview once and I'd practised getting to the tube station but then the directions said ''come out of the station and turn east'' i mean I ask you!! Liitle man in a shop drew me a map in the end.

have you seen the friends episode where they come to london and Joey has to get into the map to figure out where to go?? well that's me

I'm ok with directions sometimes, and flaming useless at other times.

In central London I'm pretty good now, as I know the main streets and buildings to use as direction finding landmarks (BT tower, centre point, Canary Wharf if I'm *really* lost, lol!)

I find places with circular streets particularly difficult. I find it easy when there's huge long straight streets that I know I'll stumble across sooner or later, but circular streets mess with my head, and I have trouble picturing them. Hence I tend to get superbly lost in the majority of Italian cities, lol!

i'm terrible, the only thing i'm good at is underground maps.
At christmaas in Berlin i was convinced we'd had turned left out of hte hotel and we had actually turned right.
Routes tend ot get telescoped in my mind and i foget bits.
I also spent 1/2 trying to find a shop, then the next week i still got lost (but not as lost)

Yes, i find this problem a bit handicapping. I get very confused and then i get a bit stressed when i cant find my way. It takes me ages to get to know my way around, but once im familiar its a lot less stressful.

i cant put theory into practice... they should name this dysgeographia!!!

Anyway i now use a gps system and so far its been a success. You can use this walking too but i haven't tried it out yet. but it only works for navigating streets, not shopping centres lol!!


I also get a bit stressed out and confused driving places i have never been before (but i guess most people do to). I found myself driving down a one way street the other day. I came to the lights and looked accross - the cars stopped at teh lights oposite from me whree heading towards me!!!

Soudns scary!

What make of GPS was it and where did you get it? Is it installed in your car or is it a handheld one?

I have a good sense of direction and find reading maps easy.

I'm terrible with directions. If the above example of "come out of tube station and turn east" was given to me i'd totally freak out. That is... if I ever got out of the tube station. I've been lost inside seven sisters station, finsbury park, elephant and castle, etc etc.

How I managed this... no idea!

Can't read maps at all. One time, I was given a map of Covent Garden area. Looking for a gym near there. Wandered for 20 minutes, and had to call the gym for help. My instructor comes and gets me - turns out its within less than 2 minutes walk of the station. Whoops.

The London underground isn't exactly helpful with compass directions anyway; at some stations the line might be running north to south but at the platforms it'll say Westbound and Eastbound!

Certainly at a very local level compass bearings aren't too handy, not least as a compass isn't exactly a widely carried piece of kit! I know generally which parts of a town or city I'm familiar with is north or south, but it's not always obvious how you translate this into a direction, unless you use the sun as guidance I suppose!

What make of GPS was it and where did you get it? Is it installed in your car or is it a handheld one?

Its a tom tom one http://www.tomtom.com/products/product. ... Language=1

Its portable so you can use it in the car or hold it in your hand and go walkies. its very small and light. You can get it anywhere that sells computer/techie stuff. You can also change the accent and gender of the voice that directs you!

I find I have to have the map the correct way up, ie the same way as I'm facing or else I get lost.

Daniel wrote:The London underground isn't exactly helpful with compass directions anyway; at some stations the line might be running north to south but at the platforms it'll say Westbound and Eastbound!

Certainly at a very local level compass bearings aren't too handy, not least as a compass isn't exactly a widely carried piece of kit! I know generally which parts of a town or city I'm familiar with is north or south, but it's not always obvious how you translate this into a direction, unless you use the sun as guidance I suppose!

The tube is easier if you know london a bit better. I have a mental map of various towns and stations in my head and i'll know that Acton is W of Shepherds Bush but only because I have a tendency to be obsessed with maps and the tube map in general. Knowledge is the dyspraxic's best friend! Plus at the start of each route I'll imagine the route in my head on the map so I can work out Eastbound/Westbound bits using "Right" or "Left" on the diagram.

What will not help is heading from an unusual direction in the car and missing the turn and ending up taking a tour of the touristy bits of london in the car... And having the mother shouting down the phone various bits and telling you to go the wrong way up a one way street or "do a U Turn! Pull over!"...

I have found that for London tubes a good pocket diary with a map is always handy... Often the signs will only tell you a couple of the main stations, often not the one you want... so at least you can identify other stations on the line.

GPS is okay, but can be difficult if you confuse left and right... and sometimes takes yoy miles out of your way... and does not like it when you are on new roads which it does not recognise!

if I am by myself driving, then I get the road map out, and write the directions before hand, and then find conveniant places to stop to have a look at my list.

and when with a friend, as he cannot read a road map to save his life, whereas even though I should be worse, I am actually pretty good now after years of learning.

when driving, and lost, or if I am with someone else driving, and we are lost, then I have got a homing brain , that will direct me home!! might be a little more of the scenic route , but at least it is in the right sort of direction.

or if someone else gets me to follow a route, and then expects me to do it the following day, ie. driving lesson, and then the driving test, then I am absolutely useless!

my main problem, is getting directions wrong when someone stops me, like I lift my hands, and hand signal the route, which is right, but the words that come out of my mouth say the opposit!!

but on foot then I need to stop, and think where something is, or if someone says a shop name in town, then I got to get them to mention a main shop, as I am no good with street names.

Wow... I am one of the people who has no sence of direction it was crap. And I know I need my mind work for direction.

I get lost very easy. I have no sense of direction at all. I can not map read at all. I get confused very easily.