Dyspraxic drivers wanted for newspaper article

[raisin girl]

Hi,
I'm a dyspraxic adult and a freelance journalist specialising in education and SpLD issues (I've been authenticated by the mods – a piece of mine was featured in Guardian Comment is Free very recently).

I'm currently working on an article for the Daily Telegraph on driving and dyspraxia (around 850 words) and I'm looking for case studies who are willing to be featured.

I'd like to speak to a dyspraxic driver who struggled significantly with learning to drive. If difficulty learning to drive was a major factor for you in identifying your dyspraxia, even better, though not essential.

You must be willing to use your full name (and ideally to be photographed as well – I do appreciate that privacy is important to some, but features like this are more meaningful to general readers if they can see the person involved, plus it helps remove the stigma around conditions).

Obviously as a dyspraxic adult myself, I'm well-informed and sympathetic to the condition, so my integrity is assured.
PM me for more details.

Many thanks
Maxine (raisin girl)

[abby]

is there any specific area you are looking for people in. i am a driver, im only 18, but if you would like, i am willing to be interviewed if you like. i live in somerset.

[Osymandus]

Im a driver took me 2 1/2 and 5 exams , am i any good (im 35 was diagnoised at 33) mind you i pased when i was 29 . Ill do it if even just to give a free advert to me brilliant driving instructor

[raisin girl]

Hi Abby - No, the area you live in doesn't matter as it's for a national paper :-) I've been speaking to osymandus privately and at the moment I think he's going to be my main subject as he took a long time to learn and has quite a few experiences to discuss, but I'm still interested in weaving in observations and quotes from other dyspraxic drivers about their experiences (these don't have to be named). The things I'm most keen to know are:

1) Did you know you were dyspraxic before you learnt to drive? If not, did your difficulty learning to drive influence you in getting a diagnosis?
2) What are the main things you find difficult in learning to drive? (this seems to vary a bit...I've found some experiences quite different to my own). Have you had any particularly memorable howlers while out on the road?
3) What's your relationship with your instructor like?

Finally, have you had negative reactions to you learning to drive, or people assuming you'd be unable to drive because of your dyspraxic difficulties?

[abby]

1. i did know i was dyspraxic, but it did cause me to explore exactly what dyspraxia is.
3. i had a very good instructor, but he took a while to learn the "no touching" rule. he was very understanding when i explained, but he was rather ignorant (which i don't hold against him).

people have had unusual reactions, and surprise, but not negative.

2. i have difficulties with holdong the clucth for long, and sitting up for long. i managed to deal with the difficulties sitting up by using a back support (these JML things, sit rite or something like that), and a pillow that ties to the seat back, to make me stay upright.

i did manage to pass the test first time, but i started learning to drive off road at about 13. at this time, i diddent think dyspraxia was a problem, but i then started to look into it and found things that help (like the support) in time for learning to drive on the road.