Dyspraxic Adults

I have dyspraxia and I am hopeless with all kinds of computer based technology. Phones, tablets, TVs, computers, I suck using them all. I think it's due to my short term memory problems because I can't remember the procedures needed to do things. I also get lost and can't remember where I've been or what I've just done on a computer etc. I actually fear technology and get so anxious when asked to do something which other people take for granted as easy. I actually struggled just to figure out how to use this forum.
Does anyone else have these problems? I feel like I was born in the wrong century...

Hi Tom and welcome

If it helps I'm not sure Im use any of my devices to their full potential and so often the processes can be counter intuitive unless I've done the task before and done it regularly, then the 'upgrade' the software. These things are sold to us as being easy but aren't always. Anxiety tends to use up the memory we could use to remember the last/next step and comparing ourselves to others just isn't fair.

I'm definitely happier if I have a keyboard as navigating touch screens can be a nightmare as selecting blocks of text is nigh impossible.

I feel the same way.

Actually, I wish I was born a little later because many people I know today still have no idia what dyspraxia is and see dylexia as a topic for humor. I was born in 1964 and when I was growing up and in adult hood the situation was far worse than it is now.

Absolutely, and I too also particularly struggle with touch screens.

I have never owned a mobile phone, as although I could just about manage the older type with the large push-button keys, using smartphones, with their tiny keys and touch screen functions, is way beyond me. Even switching the things on and off is a challenge. I also cannot cope with the bewildering number of functions available on modern smartphones, and I find some of their ring tones unpleasantly disorientating. Instead, I use a good old fashioned 'phone in the home', which just sits in its corner being a phone.

Unfortunately, we are living in a world where non-mobile phone users are increasingly discriminated against. A while back, we ordered some furniture, and we could not understand why we had not heard from the company to arrange the delivery. When I phoned them, they said that they only contacted customers by mobile (WHY?), even though I had provided them with our landline number and email and postal addresses. Spare a thought for my neighbour, who is in a worse predicament as she blind and unable to use either a mobile phone or a computer.

Paul

I've struggled with tech too, and it can feel like everyone else gets it effortlessly. Have you found any tricks or apps that help simplify things for you? Sometimes breaking tasks into smaller steps or using voice commands can make a big difference. You're definitely not alone in feeling this way.

Mobile phones are probably a lost cause for me, but luckily my wife has one.

Regarding tricks or apps to simplify things, I am not totally sure what an app is, but when I was learning to use a computer I found it essential to write down each step in a numbered list. I will also do this with any new and unfamiliar piece of equipment, especially as nowadays most household things you buy tend to have very sparse and poorly written instructions. However, I would need to leave setting up something complicated, like a new TV, to my wife!

Something else I found useful when learning computers was NOT to ask a computer professional. This might sound counter-intuitive, but in my own experience computer professionals tend to assume that everyone is on their wavelength, and they are simply not good at explaining things to someone like me (I do not want to offend anyone here; no doubt there are some computer professionals who are brilliant teachers, but unfortunately I never met them).

When I did my computer course in 2001, I was part of a large group of learners who were assisted by roving tutors, most of whom were computer specialists. I soon learnt to avoid asking them anything, as they were not capable of explaining what I needed to do in a way that I understood, and they sometimes got frustrated and impatient, leading me to react a bit aggressively towards them in return. Fortunately, a few of the tutors were folk with ordinary jobs who had learnt computing, either self-taught or on an earlier version of the same course that I was doing, and they were much better at putting things over. I soon gravitated to one particular chap, a self-employed man without much formal education, who was approachable, funny, and very patient, and who was particularly good at relating the exercises we were doing to real-life situations. I probably would not have passed the course without his help.

I totally understand where you're coming from. I struggle with tech sometimes, too, especially when I’m trying to remember steps for things. I find it helps to break tasks down into smaller chunks and write down instructions as I go along. Watching short tutorial videos can also make things clearer and less intimidating. It's completely normal to feel anxious about technology—you're definitely not alone in that!

CelestialCipher wrote: ↑Mon Jul 08, 2024 1:51 am I've struggled with tech too, and it can feel like everyone else gets it effortlessly. Have you found any tricks or apps that help simplify things for you? Sometimes breaking tasks into smaller steps or using voice commands can make a big difference. You're definitely not alone in feeling this way.

I'd also appreciate any tips or apps for my son, who was just diagnosed...

PaulWH wrote: ↑Sun Jul 07, 2024 12:54 pm Absolutely, and I too also particularly struggle with touch screens.

I have never owned a mobile phone, as although I could just about manage the older type with the large push-button keys, using smartphones, with their tiny keys and touch screen functions, is way beyond me. Even switching the things on and off is a challenge. I also cannot cope with the bewildering number of functions available on modern smartphones, and I find some of their ring tones unpleasantly disorientating. Instead, I use a good old fashioned 'phone in the home', which just sits in its corner being a phone.

Unfortunately, we are living in a world where non-mobile phone users are increasingly discriminated against. A while back, we ordered some furniture, and we could not understand why we had not heard from the company to arrange the delivery. When I phoned them, they said that they only contacted customers by mobile (WHY?), even though I had provided them with our landline number and email and postal addresses. Spare a thought for my neighbour, who is in a worse predicament as she blind and unable to use either a mobile phone or a computer. [Suspicious url removed by Admin] to see how many people feel the same way, wishing technology stayed a bit more human.

Paul

It really does feel like the world is moving too fast for people who prefer simpler, more accessible technology, and your experience shows how frustrating that can be. Touch screens and smartphone menus can be overwhelming, especially when companies assume everyone can use them easily. Depending only on mobile contact and ignoring landlines or email is not just inconvenient it’s exclusionary for people like you and your neighbour. We shouldn’t have to fight for basic communication options that used to be standard.

jaxtide6 wrote: ↑Thu Dec 11, 2025 9:49 am

PaulWH wrote: ↑Sun Jul 07, 2024 12:54 pm.

[Suspicious url removed by Admin]
Paul

It really does feel like the world is moving too fast for people who prefer simpler, more accessible technology, and your experience shows how frustrating that can be. Touch screens and smartphone menus can be overwhelming, especially when companies assume everyone can use them easily. Depending only on mobile contact and ignoring landlines or email is not just inconvenient it’s exclusionary for people like you and your neighbour. We shouldn’t have to fight for basic communication options that used to be standard.

Why do you think it is acceptable to insert a dodgy URL and try to pass it off as from another user?