Guest guest Posted July 20, 2008 Report Share Posted July 20, 2008 daneeka said: This whole driving issues has me curious. I would have assumed that people with Aspergers, being "visual thinkers," would excel at navigating while driving. me here: i have never been convinced by the visual thinkers label, it is an NT construct to help them describe how "we" think. I am hopeless at directions, always, always getting lost. i spoke to a shrink once and she reckoned that one of her "tells" when diagnosing AS children was they always described getting lost at school. you said: My own husband is HORRIBLE at directions. He often takes a wrong turn just getting from our house to the freeway. I always assumed that it's the result of not being able to multi-task -- he can't deal with the level of focus needed to drive and keep his destination in mind. Missed turns, ending up in the wrong part of town, etc. are commonplace events when he's driving. If I'm talking to him while he's driving, so much me here: i do think it is a commonality for most AS. i can read a map and follow directions and then when i re-read a map i can memorise it and folow direction to a similar geographical area, but it is that initial trip that invariable i end up lost in. a map gives all possible options to get to a location not the one you want, it asks too many questions of me. i drive by man radar......i follwo signs and then drive until i cant get anywhere then look at a map. sounds nuts but it works for me. you said: For his birthday, I bought him a GPS unit for his car, and he hated it. Couldn't stand the voice telling him to turn, etc. I understand that. He prefers to have mapquest pages that he can look at - however unsafe that might be.Anyone have similar experience?Daneka, who is surprised by the number of us who have the same experience me here: i prefer maps too. even thou there is too much info and it is difficult to filter it all.........i have comfort knowing every possible way into and out of a location.....if/when i get lost i can man radar it out of there, a talking voice would annoy me and end up out of the car somewhere. 36 m diagnosed AS always gets lost doesnt get annoyed anymore...used to suffer from bad road rage with myself. Not happy with your email address? Get the one you really want - millions of new email addresses available now at Yahoo! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 20, 2008 Report Share Posted July 20, 2008 Daneka Wheeler wrote: > This whole driving issues has me curious. I would have assumed that > people with Aspergers, being " visual thinkers, " would excel at > navigating while driving. [ snip ] " Visual thinking " has nothing to do with it. That's more to do with a cognitive style, and less to do with any particular result of it. > Anyone have similar experience? > Daneka, who is surprised by the number of us who have the same experience Daneka, ALL male drivers NEVER ask directions. - Bill, 76, AS; ...who has no such driving problem <wink> -- WD " Bill " Loughman - Berkeley, California USA http://home.earthlink.net/~wdloughman/wdl.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 20, 2008 Report Share Posted July 20, 2008 Hey Bill,I completely agree about male drivers NEVER asking directions. Hardly unique to my husband. When I was in high school, I first noticed it. Every experience since has confirmed it. WHAT is their problem? you said, "Visual thinking" has nothing to do with it. That's more to do with a cognitive style, and less to do with any particular result of it."I'd appreciate more explanation. In the context of driving directions, isn't someone either "visual" or they are able to remember directions?If I give someone directions: go one-half mile, turn right, then go 1 mile, turn left, etc. I assume they can remember, and are not visual thinkers.On the other hand, if I show someone a map, then I assume "visual." No?Doesn't the "cognitive style" kick in - such as it is, to whatever the situation asks?Daneka > This whole driving issues has me curious. I would have assumed that > people with Aspergers, being "visual thinkers," would excel at > navigating while driving. [ snip ] "Visual thinking" has nothing to do with it. That's more to do with a cognitive style, and less to do with any particular result of it. > Anyone have similar experience? > Daneka, who is surprised by the number of us who have the same experience Daneka, ALL male drivers NEVER ask directions. - Bill, 76, AS; ...who has no such driving problem <wink> -- WD "Bill" Loughman - Berkeley, California USA http://home. earthlink. net/~wdloughman/ wdl.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 20, 2008 Report Share Posted July 20, 2008 At 04:48 PM 7/19/2008, you wrote: >Dane Wheeler wrote: > > This whole driving issues has me curious. I would have assumed that > > people with Aspergers, being " visual thinkers, " would excel at > > navigating while driving. >[ snip ] Autism spectrum disorders are a really mixed bag, and just like anyone else, no two of us are alike. Some AS, like some NT are very good drivers. Most are average, and then some AS and some NT are very bad drivers. Though " executive function " impairment is definitely more common with AS, and I certainly have executive function imparment, this does not affect my driving. Most of your decisions have to be pretty instantaneous, LOL, there is not a lot to pre-plan, other than knowing where you want to go, and which way to get there. Though I am slower to process verbal input, I don't seem to have a problem taking in all the other stimuli that I need to be aware of my environment when I am driving. And as Jennie once explained about herself, when I get into a vehicle, it becomes part of me, I can " feel " every part of it. I can also sense what other drivers are going to do, just by their behaviors at the wheel, and I noticed my son (way more NT than me) has this ability too. This makes it possible for us to cut in and out of traffic with ease, LOL. Some folks are terrible drivers because they don't have that sense of what others are going to do. They may be too distracted to drive, they may be too un-coordinated to drive, they may simply be too inattentive or too slow to react to situations to drive. And it may or may not have anything to do with AS. Some AS have severe ADD in the mix (I have ADD) and yet, ADD in and of itself is not a problem for driving - in fact some very GOOD drivers have severe ADD. But it's really, really vital to be able to " know " how others around you are going to react, and also, to have a good reaction time yourself. I think the only time that AS may come into play where it comes to driving difficulties is that AS in general are slower to mature than NT. They are slower to learn a skill so if, say, they never properly learned to ride a bicycle, never mind ride one in traffic as a child, getting driving down might be a challenge for teenage AS. Being too hyperfocused may present a problem too, as then the person would not be taking in all the information they need to make a decision when getting around in a vehicle. But again, not a problem for me, I started driving when I was 18. Some slower maturing AS may not be able to drive in their teens, but may be able to do so ten years later when their brain has developed a bit more, and they have gained more experience interacting with the outside world. I think that except in rare circumstances, anyone can learn to drive, but it may take some lots and lots and lots of practice for some. Some folks should seriously, seriously go back to driving school! Now, if it's obvious the person is a menace on the road, LOL, well then I would not push it, and some people simply can not drive. I know some folks who are just too anxious to drive, or else stand on principle that automobile ownership is a luxury our poor stressed planet can no longer afford, and, that's cool too. - Helen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 20, 2008 Report Share Posted July 20, 2008 Daneka, my husband is terrible with directions and gets lost. For a long time, he kept a compass on his dashboard to help him navigate. He always gets lost. He has trouble finding the way on routes he has been on many times. He also isn't a good driver. His mind wanders while driving and he drifts from lane to lane and off the road, even on busy highways. My daughter and I are now doing most of the driving. I think he knows he's having problems because he now prefers if we drive. He use to insist that he be the one driving. Verleen > > This whole driving issues has me curious. I would have assumed that people with Aspergers, being " visual thinkers, " would excel at navigating while driving. > My own husband is HORRIBLE at directions. He often takes a wrong turn just getting from our house to the freeway. I always assumed that it's the result of not being able to multi-task -- he can't deal with the level of focus needed to drive and keep his destination in mind. Missed turns, ending up in the wrong part of town, etc. are commonplace events when he's driving. If I'm talking to him while he's driving, so much the worse. > For his birthday, I bought him a GPS unit for his car, and he hated it. Couldn't stand the voice telling him to turn, etc. I understand that. He prefers to have mapquest pages that he can look at - however unsafe that might be. > > Anyone have similar experience? > Daneka, who is surprised by the number of us who have the same experience > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 20, 2008 Report Share Posted July 20, 2008 Bill, good one and so true. It makes us ladies crazy too. Verleen >> > Daneka, ALL male drivers NEVER ask directions. > > - Bill, 76, AS; ...who has no such driving problem <wink> > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 20, 2008 Report Share Posted July 20, 2008 At 05:18 PM 7/19/2008, you wrote: >I'd appreciate more explanation. >In the context of driving directions, isn't someone either " visual " >or they are able to remember directions? >If I give someone directions: go one-half mile, turn right, then go >1 mile, turn left, etc. For me, I would only be able to remember I knew the area I was going to be driving in, and I could visualize the street names and landmarks as you recited the directions. Then I could store that info. in an ordered way. If someone starts saying to me, " go one mile, turn, right " etc. and I don't know the area, I'll say whoa, not so fast, I'll write this down. <grins> Then I'll glance at the directions as I'm driving along (preferably at red lights, LOL.) Better to have a co-pilot to read the directions though. I'm flexible with fast lane changes and I can turn on a dime or back up (providing it's safe to do so) unlike one person I know that if I said, you just missed the turn, they'd kind of " freeze " and go another three blocks before slowing down because it takes that long for them to take on board what I said, and then react to it. - Helen 53, self--dx'd AS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 20, 2008 Report Share Posted July 20, 2008 Hi Helen,Even though I'm not AS, I'm just like you. If someone tells me go one half mile, I want to know what the markers are -- is there a street light, a stop sign, a gas station on the corner, etc. I have to "imagine" the intersection. I hate searching for road signs, typically lost behind a tree. Otherwise, I need a navigator. Or, now that my husband discarded his GPS, an electronic navigator. Daneka, who sets the GPS language to French, and enjoys the ride >I'd appreciate more explanation. >In the context of driving directions, isn't someone either "visual" >or they are able to remember directions? >If I give someone directions: go one-half mile, turn right, then go >1 mile, turn left, etc. For me, I would only be able to remember I knew the area I was going to be driving in, and I could visualize the street names and landmarks as you recited the directions. Then I could store that info. in an ordered way. If someone starts saying to me, "go one mile, turn, right" etc. and I don't know the area, I'll say whoa, not so fast, I'll write this down. <grins> Then I'll glance at the directions as I'm driving along (preferably at red lights, LOL.) Better to have a co-pilot to read the directions though. I'm flexible with fast lane changes and I can turn on a dime or back up (providing it's safe to do so) unlike one person I know that if I said, you just missed the turn, they'd kind of "freeze" and go another three blocks before slowing down because it takes that long for them to take on board what I said, and then react to it. - Helen 53, self--dx'd AS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 20, 2008 Report Share Posted July 20, 2008 This is an interesting thread. My AS husband loves to drive alone; his van is safe pod that is filled with everything he needs in life—an extra set of clothes; graham crackers and peanut butter; a bottle of water; a cup of tea, a book to read and a notebook in which to write ideas during unavoidable delays, and tobacco. For work, he logs about 40K miles a year, visiting a different location every day. He gets a little tense when the directions/map he's given are bad, so I gave him a GPS as a gift last year. He didn't like it at first, but found it easier than reversing the directions when he wants to get back home, and handy when the directions are bad, because it can get him to his location from anywhere; he cannot, however, bear to listen to it talk while he is driving. (He also has trouble concentrating if I am talking, or if the radio is on, while he's driving.) My high school aged AS/NLD nephew on the other hand, refuses to learn to drive. He says that if he can't see his feet, he does not know what they are doing, so he couldn't keep his eyes on the road and accelerate and/or brake at the same time. > > > This whole driving issues has me curious. I would > have assumed that > > > people with Aspergers, being " visual > thinkers, " would excel at > > > navigating while driving. > >[ snip ] > > Autism spectrum disorders are a really mixed bag, and just > like > anyone else, no two of us are alike. Some AS, like some NT > are very > good drivers. Most are average, and then some AS and some > NT are very > bad drivers. Though " executive function " > impairment is definitely > more common with AS, and I certainly have executive > function > imparment, this does not affect my driving. Most of your > decisions > have to be pretty instantaneous, LOL, there is not a lot to > pre-plan, > other than knowing where you want to go, and which way to > get there. > > Though I am slower to process verbal input, I don't > seem to have a > problem taking in all the other stimuli that I need to be > aware of my > environment when I am driving. And as Jennie once explained > about > herself, when I get into a vehicle, it becomes part of me, > I can > " feel " every part of it. > > I can also sense what other drivers are going to do, just > by their > behaviors at the wheel, and I noticed my son (way more NT > than me) > has this ability too. This makes it possible for us to cut > in and out > of traffic with ease, LOL. > > Some folks are terrible drivers because they don't have > that sense of > what others are going to do. They may be too distracted to > drive, > they may be too un-coordinated to drive, they may simply be > too > inattentive or too slow to react to situations to drive. > And it may > or may not have anything to do with AS. > > Some AS have severe ADD in the mix (I have ADD) and yet, > ADD in and > of itself is not a problem for driving - in fact some very > GOOD > drivers have severe ADD. But it's really, really vital > to be able to > " know " how others around you are going to react, > and also, to have a > good reaction time yourself. > > I think the only time that AS may come into play where it > comes to > driving difficulties is that AS in general are slower to > mature than > NT. They are slower to learn a skill so if, say, they never > properly > learned to ride a bicycle, never mind ride one in traffic > as a child, > getting driving down might be a challenge for teenage AS. > Being too > hyperfocused may present a problem too, as then the person > would not > be taking in all the information they need to make a > decision when > getting around in a vehicle. But again, not a problem for > me, I > started driving when I was 18. Some slower maturing AS may > not be > able to drive in their teens, but may be able to do so ten > years > later when their brain has developed a bit more, and they > have gained > more experience interacting with the outside world. > > I think that except in rare circumstances, anyone can learn > to drive, > but it may take some lots and lots and lots of practice for > some. > Some folks should seriously, seriously go back to driving > school! > Now, if it's obvious the person is a menace on the > road, LOL, well > then I would not push it, and some people simply can not > drive. I > know some folks who are just too anxious to drive, or else > stand on > principle that automobile ownership is a luxury our poor > stressed > planet can no longer afford, and, that's cool too. > - Helen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 20, 2008 Report Share Posted July 20, 2008 Hi ,When you say that "visual thinking" is an NT construct, what did you mean?When I looked at the various online tests for Aspergers, they fequently seemed to have these complex geometric examples, with no text.I'm not understanding the difference between visual thinking, memorization, and imagination.Daneka Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 20, 2008 Report Share Posted July 20, 2008 ,You are a woman after my own heart!when you said,his van is safe pod that is filled with everything he needs in life—an extra set of clothes; graham crackers and peanut butter; a bottle of water; a cup of tea, a book to read and a notebook in which to write ideas during unavoidable delays, and tobacco.Oh, my gawwd! How small is the planet?Daneka > > > This whole driving issues has me curious. I would > have assumed that > > > people with Aspergers, being "visual > thinkers," would excel at > > > navigating while driving. > >[ snip ] > > Autism spectrum disorders are a really mixed bag, and just > like > anyone else, no two of us are alike. Some AS, like some NT > are very > good drivers. Most are average, and then some AS and some > NT are very > bad drivers. Though "executive function" > impairment is definitely > more common with AS, and I certainly have executive > function > imparment, this does not affect my driving. Most of your > decisions > have to be pretty instantaneous, LOL, there is not a lot to > pre-plan, > other than knowing where you want to go, and which way to > get there. > > Though I am slower to process verbal input, I don't > seem to have a > problem taking in all the other stimuli that I need to be > aware of my > environment when I am driving. And as Jennie once explained > about > herself, when I get into a vehicle, it becomes part of me, > I can > "feel" every part of it. > > I can also sense what other drivers are going to do, just > by their > behaviors at the wheel, and I noticed my son (way more NT > than me) > has this ability too. This makes it possible for us to cut > in and out > of traffic with ease, LOL. > > Some folks are terrible drivers because they don't have > that sense of > what others are going to do. They may be too distracted to > drive, > they may be too un-coordinated to drive, they may simply be > too > inattentive or too slow to react to situations to drive. > And it may > or may not have anything to do with AS. > > Some AS have severe ADD in the mix (I have ADD) and yet, > ADD in and > of itself is not a problem for driving - in fact some very > GOOD > drivers have severe ADD. But it's really, really vital > to be able to > "know" how others around you are going to react, > and also, to have a > good reaction time yourself. > > I think the only time that AS may come into play where it > comes to > driving difficulties is that AS in general are slower to > mature than > NT. They are slower to learn a skill so if, say, they never > properly > learned to ride a bicycle, never mind ride one in traffic > as a child, > getting driving down might be a challenge for teenage AS. > Being too > hyperfocused may present a problem too, as then the person > would not > be taking in all the information they need to make a > decision when > getting around in a vehicle. But again, not a problem for > me, I > started driving when I was 18. Some slower maturing AS may > not be > able to drive in their teens, but may be able to do so ten > years > later when their brain has developed a bit more, and they > have gained > more experience interacting with the outside world. > > I think that except in rare circumstances, anyone can learn > to drive, > but it may take some lots and lots and lots of practice for > some. > Some folks should seriously, seriously go back to driving > school! > Now, if it's obvious the person is a menace on the > road, LOL, well > then I would not push it, and some people simply can not > drive. I > know some folks who are just too anxious to drive, or else > stand on > principle that automobile ownership is a luxury our poor > stressed > planet can no longer afford, and, that's cool too. > - Helen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 20, 2008 Report Share Posted July 20, 2008 daneeka said: Hi ,When you say that "visual thinking" is an NT construct, what did you mean?When I looked at the various online tests for Aspergers, they fequently seemed to have these complex geometric examples, with no text.I'm not understanding the difference between visual thinking, memorization, and imagination.Daneka me here: daneeka, i feel that the way non AS describe AS thinking is to satisfy themselves that they have a quantifiable explanation , a description for something that they think is correct. I memorise neither words or pictures but i do have something there linking up all my experiences together. it is very very difficult to describe. the online tests you have seen are, in my opinion a request fro the user to construct blocks similar to a pattern , they are asked to copy a similar pattern and i think the test is to see if they are a mirror image pattern ( to see if you can act as a second person copying an image) or a 1st person ( to see if you can place yourself in the position fo the testers orientation) . revealing an ability to place yourself in someone elses position/place. AS thinking while not new to me, is hard...if i asked you "how do you think" could you describe it, i also get bogged down and snagged in details which will go beyond what is considered a resonable explanation. perhaps you can tell me how you think in a certain scenario and i will attempt to explain if i do the same or do differently and you can make inferences from it. i just cannot explain accurately how i think........it is too complex a task. 36 m diagnosed AS my brain is hurting Not happy with your email address? Get the one you really want - millions of new email addresses available now at Yahoo! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 20, 2008 Report Share Posted July 20, 2008 Here is New Zealand they are screening series 9 of America's Top Model .Although I do not usually bother with this type of programme it was interesting to watch as one of the contestants has Aspergers. She was eliminated this week . The main reason she was eliminated was when they had to go to 5 different designers in a time frame she got hopelessly lost and only managed to arrive at 1 in the 5 hours. She also lost her cab driver and was totally overcome with confusion and arrived back 40 minutes after the deadline. Was great to see how far she got in the competition but in the end it was due to her challges in a few areas that caused her elimination To: aspires-relationships From: danekaw@...Date: Sat, 19 Jul 2008 16:18:12 -0700Subject: Re: Driving Directions Hey Bill,I completely agree about male drivers NEVER asking directions. Hardly unique to my husband. When I was in high school, I first noticed it. Every experience since has confirmed it. WHAT is their problem? you said,"Visual thinking" has nothing to do with it. That's more to do with a cognitive style, and less to do with any particular result of it."I'd appreciate more explanation. In the context of driving directions, isn't someone either "visual" or they are able to remember directions?If I give someone directions: go one-half mile, turn right, then go 1 mile, turn left, etc. I assume they can remember, and are not visual thinkers.On the other hand, if I show someone a map, then I assume "visual." No?Doesn't the "cognitive style" kick in - such as it is, to whatever the situation asks?Daneka> This whole driving issues has me curious. I would have assumed that > people with Aspergers, being "visual thinkers," would excel at > navigating while driving.[ snip ]"Visual thinking" has nothing to do with it. That's more to do with a cognitive style, and less to do with any particular result of it.> Anyone have similar experience?> Daneka, who is surprised by the number of us who have the same experienceDaneka, ALL male drivers NEVER ask directions. - Bill, 76, AS; ...who has no such driving problem <wink>-- WD "Bill" Loughman - Berkeley, California USAhttp://home. earthlink. net/~wdloughman/ wdl.htm Click here SEEK New Zealand's #1 jobsite Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 20, 2008 Report Share Posted July 20, 2008 Hi Daneka, I am really the opposite of a visual thinker when it comes to directions! I am one of those Math/ Music AS folk, and some authors even write about us. On the other hand, maybe I am visual in the sense some people mean, since I usually do not think in words, since they are too slow, and sometimes I do not knwo the words. I have an excellent sense of direction, but only because I have outstanding cognitive abilities and spatial relations. Here are a couple of things that work for me: (1) I love Mapquest directions, and use them often enough for new places. The steps are usually accurage, and I hve learned how to interpret these directions. By using the trip button by my odometer, if it says 14.3 miles to the next turn, then I can think about other things ofr about 11 miles, and then, I need to concentrate. If I slip and take 12 miles thinking, I still have two to find my way. (2) I put the Mapquest info in both ways: First, to print out steps to get to my destination, and second, to print out the steps to get back. With all the one-way streets and construction out there, the way back can be quite different from the way there. (3) I bring a laptop, in case I really blow it! Then, I can mapquest from where I am to where I am headed. (I have not needed to do this yet, but could! It makes me feel better, if it is late at night when I am driving.) (4) For places I go on foot, I use a trick I figured out how to do as a girl: I imagine that I am unwinding a string as I walk, and that when I go back, I will have to pick up the string. That way, I pay attention to exactly where that string will be! It is a bit like Hansel and Grettel's breadcrumbs and pebbles. : ~ ) Definite preferences for directions from people: Right, left, straight, how many miles, or even N, E, S, W (give me N in an unfamiliar place, and I can get the rest- if the sun is down. If the sun is up, I likely have E, already.) I have done geocaching, but have not actually tried a GPS unit in a car. Landmarks? That gasd station will be closed when I come back later, and I will never see it at night when the sign is not lit, anyway! Social Rules: I have had to learn that when I am driving, and am having difficulty concentrating on two things at once, it is perfectly OK to ask everyone in my car to please be quiet for a fe minutes, till I take these next two turns! My children all love helping me to navigate, and when they are in the car, will gladly do it! They will tell each other to be quiet while I concentrate. My ex uses that same rule about asking people to be quiet for a couple of minutes, as needed. Subject: Driving DirectionsTo: "Aspires Aspires" <aspires-relationships >Date: Saturday, July 19, 2008, 6:09 PM This whole driving issues has me curious. I would have assumed that people with Aspergers, being "visual thinkers," would excel at navigating while driving.My own husband is HORRIBLE at directions. He often takes a wrong turn just getting from our house to the freeway. I always assumed that it's the result of not being able to multi-task -- he can't deal with the level of focus needed to drive and keep his destination in mind. Missed turns, ending up in the wrong part of town, etc. are commonplace events when he's driving. If I'm talking to him while he's driving, so much the worse.For his birthday, I bought him a GPS unit for his car, and he hated it. Couldn't stand the voice telling him to turn, etc. I understand that. He prefers to have mapquest pages that he can look at - however unsafe that might be.Anyone have similar experience?Daneka, who is surprised by the number of us who have the same experience Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 20, 2008 Report Share Posted July 20, 2008 Hi Daneka, I am really the opposite of a visual thinker when it comes to directions! I am one of those Math/ Music AS folk, and some authors even write about us. On the other hand, maybe I am visual in the sense some people mean, since I usually do not think in words, since they are too slow, and sometimes I do not knwo the words. I have an excellent sense of direction, but only because I have outstanding cognitive abilities and spatial relations. Here are a couple of things that work for me: (1) I love Mapquest directions, and use them often enough for new places. The steps are usually accurage, and I hve learned how to interpret these directions. By using the trip button by my odometer, if it says 14.3 miles to the next turn, then I can think about other things ofr about 11 miles, and then, I need to concentrate. If I slip and take 12 miles thinking, I still have two to find my way. (2) I put the Mapquest info in both ways: First, to print out steps to get to my destination, and second, to print out the steps to get back. With all the one-way streets and construction out there, the way back can be quite different from the way there. (3) I bring a laptop, in case I really blow it! Then, I can mapquest from where I am to where I am headed. (I have not needed to do this yet, but could! It makes me feel better, if it is late at night when I am driving.) (4) For places I go on foot, I use a trick I figured out how to do as a girl: I imagine that I am unwinding a string as I walk, and that when I go back, I will have to pick up the string. That way, I pay attention to exactly where that string will be! It is a bit like Hansel and Grettel's breadcrumbs and pebbles. : ~ ) Definite preferences for directions from people: Right, left, straight, how many miles, or even N, E, S, W (give me N in an unfamiliar place, and I can get the rest- if the sun is down. If the sun is up, I likely have E, already.) I have done geocaching, but have not actually tried a GPS unit in a car. Landmarks? That gasd station will be closed when I come back later, and I will never see it at night when the sign is not lit, anyway! Social Rules: I have had to learn that when I am driving, and am having difficulty concentrating on two things at once, it is perfectly OK to ask everyone in my car to please be quiet for a fe minutes, till I take these next two turns! My children all love helping me to navigate, and when they are in the car, will gladly do it! They will tell each other to be quiet while I concentrate. My ex uses that same rule about asking people to be quiet for a couple of minutes, as needed. Subject: Driving DirectionsTo: "Aspires Aspires" <aspires-relationships >Date: Saturday, July 19, 2008, 6:09 PM This whole driving issues has me curious. I would have assumed that people with Aspergers, being "visual thinkers," would excel at navigating while driving.My own husband is HORRIBLE at directions. He often takes a wrong turn just getting from our house to the freeway. I always assumed that it's the result of not being able to multi-task -- he can't deal with the level of focus needed to drive and keep his destination in mind. Missed turns, ending up in the wrong part of town, etc. are commonplace events when he's driving. If I'm talking to him while he's driving, so much the worse.For his birthday, I bought him a GPS unit for his car, and he hated it. Couldn't stand the voice telling him to turn, etc. I understand that. He prefers to have mapquest pages that he can look at - however unsafe that might be.Anyone have similar experience?Daneka, who is surprised by the number of us who have the same experience Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 20, 2008 Report Share Posted July 20, 2008 Subject: Re: Driving DirectionsTo: aspires-relationships Date: Saturday, July 19, 2008, 6:48 PM "Visual thinking" has nothing to do with it. That's more to do with a cognitive style, and less to do with any particular result of it. Bill, Some of my woman friends do use visual memory, because they navigate by landmarks. These same f riends do not really like using maps very much, or getting directions in terms of N, E, W, S, R, L like I do, but would rather just memorize each little tree and store and fork in the road and n or Garrsion Colonial or etc. Not all women are like that, of course, but I have met more women who prefer landmarks than men. I think visual thinking is a key ingredient for them. I am not a landmark person, and would follow more in line with what you have said.> Anyone have similar experience?> Daneka, who is surprised by the number of us who have the same experienceDaneka, ALL male drivers NEVER ask directions. Hmmmm....I have a keychain that asks why Moses wandered forty years in the wilderness, and the answer is that even back then, men did not ask directions...- Bill, 76, AS; ...who has no such driving problem <wink>-- WD "Bill" Loughman - Berkeley, California USAhttp://home. earthlink. net/~wdloughman/ wdl.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 20, 2008 Report Share Posted July 20, 2008 ,I am running off, but I saw your post and scanned it quickly.You do geocache?? Amazing! I do too, and I wonder if we've been to some of the same places. As a way to raise money for our local schools, a friend and I take 10 children on a geocache hunt each year, charging $100 per family. Daneka From: Daneka Wheeler <danekawyahoo (DOT) com>Subject: [aspires-relationsh ips] Driving DirectionsTo: "Aspires Aspires" <aspires-relationshi psyahoogroups (DOT) com>Date: Saturday, July 19, 2008, 6:09 PM This whole driving issues has me curious. I would have assumed that people with Aspergers, being "visual thinkers," would excel at navigating while driving.My own husband is HORRIBLE at directions. He often takes a wrong turn just getting from our house to the freeway. I always assumed that it's the result of not being able to multi-task -- he can't deal with the level of focus needed to drive and keep his destination in mind. Missed turns, ending up in the wrong part of town, etc. are commonplace events when he's driving. If I'm talking to him while he's driving, so much the worse.For his birthday, I bought him a GPS unit for his car, and he hated it. Couldn't stand the voice telling him to turn, etc. I understand that. He prefers to have mapquest pages that he can look at - however unsafe that might be.Anyone have similar experience?Daneka, who is surprised by the number of us who have the same experience Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 20, 2008 Report Share Posted July 20, 2008 ,I am absolutely a landmark person.Daneka, who thought everyone was From: WD Loughman <wdloughman@earthlin k.net>Subject: Re: [aspires-relationsh ips] Driving DirectionsTo: aspires-relationshi psyahoogroups (DOT) comDate: Saturday, July 19, 2008, 6:48 PM "Visual thinking" has nothing to do with it. That's more to do with a cognitive style, and less to do with any particular result of it. Bill, Some of my woman friends do use visual memory, because they navigate by landmarks. These same f riends do not really like using maps very much, or getting directions in terms of N, E, W, S, R, L like I do, but would rather just memorize each little tree and store and fork in the road and n or Garrsion Colonial or etc. Not all women are like that, of course, but I have met more women who prefer landmarks than men. I think visual thinking is a key ingredient for them. I am not a landmark person, and would follow more in line with what you have said.> Anyone have similar experience?> Daneka, who is surprised by the number of us who have the same experienceDaneka, ALL male drivers NEVER ask directions. Hmmmm....I have a keychain that asks why Moses wandered forty years in the wilderness, and the answer is that even back then, men did not ask directions.. .- Bill, 76, AS; ...who has no such driving problem <wink>-- WD "Bill" Loughman - Berkeley, California USAhttp://home. earthlink. net/~wdloughman/ wdl.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 20, 2008 Report Share Posted July 20, 2008 give me a land mark any day....have no clue what the names of the streets are On Sat, 19 Jul 2008 18:27:48 -0700 (PDT), Daneka Wheeler wrote > , > I am absolutely a landmark person. > Daneka, who thought everyone was > > > From: WD Loughman <wdloughman@earthlin k.net> > Subject: Re: [aspires-relationsh ips] Driving Directions > To: aspires-relationshi psyahoogroups (DOT) com > Date: Saturday, July 19, 2008, 6:48 PM > > " Visual thinking " has nothing to do with it. That's more to do with a > cognitive style, and less to do with any particular result of it. > > Bill, > Some of my woman friends do use visual memory, because they navigate by landmarks. These same f riends do not really like using maps very much, or getting directions in terms of N, E, W, S, R, L like I do, but would rather just memorize each little tree and store and fork in the road and n or Garrsion Colonial or etc. Not all women are like that, of course, but I have met more women who prefer landmarks than men. I think visual thinking is a key ingredient for them. I am not a landmark person, and would follow more in line with what you have said. > > > Anyone have similar experience? > > Daneka, who is surprised by the number of us who have the same experience > > Daneka, ALL male drivers NEVER ask directions. > > Hmmmm....I have a keychain that asks why Moses wandered forty years in the wilderness, and the answer is that even back then, men did not ask directions.. . > > - Bill, 76, AS; ...who has no such driving problem <wink> > > -- > WD " Bill " Loughman - Berkeley, California USA > http://home. earthlink. net/~wdloughman/ wdl.htm > > > > --> --> --> -- Sent from hicom.net (http://www.hicom.net) via " OpenWebMail " (http://openwebmail.org) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 20, 2008 Report Share Posted July 20, 2008 Daneka Wheeler wrote: > This whole driving issues has me curious. I would have assumed that people with Aspergers, being " visual thinkers, " would excel at navigating while driving. > My own husband is HORRIBLE at directions. He often takes a wrong turn just getting from our house to the freeway. I always assumed that it's the result of not being able to multi-task -- he can't deal with the level of focus needed to drive and keep his destination in mind. Missed turns, ending up in the wrong part of town, etc. are commonplace events when he's driving. If I'm talking to him while he's driving, so much the worse. > For his birthday, I bought him a GPS unit for his car, and he hated it. Couldn't stand the voice telling him to turn, etc. I understand that. He prefers to have mapquest pages that he can look at - however unsafe that might be. > > Anyone have similar experience? > Daneka, who is surprised by the number of us who have the same experience A curious one indeed but I can only speak personally. Travel is very important to me, one of the few things I enjoy, or used to, today long term sick / no work, I am stuck. Some time ago I worked out that I must have ridden or driven, variety of vehicles and number of wheels around a million miles. At one time I was in a way a professional, worked in the motor industry. There are strange things surrounding navigation. Roads are one area where I have kind of a photographic memory, odd experience when I suddenly know a road yet once say 40 years ago was all it took. I have no idea how this works. Like many others I have a terrible memory so instructions are pointless. Fortunately I tend to have a good sense of direction but this does not always work. Today it has become much harder, I think because road layout and signing has changed to often illogical, plus in this country there are many deliberately omitted signs, is political. I was a very early user of GPS, no co-incidence that my company initials are GPSL and fairly early with good PDA mapping. This is very good. Try navigating Paris during the rush hour without... the point being that it warning you up front and even mentions lanes in some difficult situations. I hate anyone else being in the car and if they want to talk... then I start to make mistakes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 20, 2008 Report Share Posted July 20, 2008 Not unless they're talking on a cell phone and losing sense of direction while driving at the same time. > > This whole driving issues has me curious. I would have assumed that people with Aspergers, being " visual thinkers, " would excel at navigating while driving. > My own husband is HORRIBLE at directions. He often takes a wrong turn just getting from our house to the freeway. I always assumed that it's the result of not being able to multi-task -- he can't deal with the level of focus needed to drive and keep his destination in mind. Missed turns, ending up in the wrong part of town, etc. are commonplace events when he's driving. If I'm talking to him while he's driving, so much the worse. > For his birthday, I bought him a GPS unit for his car, and he hated it. Couldn't stand the voice telling him to turn, etc. I understand that. He prefers to have mapquest pages that he can look at - however unsafe that might be. > > Anyone have similar experience? > Daneka, who is surprised by the number of us who have the same experience > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 20, 2008 Report Share Posted July 20, 2008 That's why I am the rare man women love to be around and such, because I *always* ask for directions when I'm lost. I'm not about to play " spin the bottle " and let that determine which direction I'm going. My ex-wife was fascinated I would ask for directions *long before* asking me to do so. The very first time I pulled into a gas direction with her in the car, she had this incredibly stunned look on her face. Then, she asked, " How'd you know to go to a gas station? Most men I know of wouldn't think of doing that. " I looked back and said, " Got any better ideas where we're going? " She shut up after that. > > > This whole driving issues has me curious. I would have assumed that > > > people with Aspergers, being " visual thinkers, " would excel at > > > navigating while driving. > > [ snip ] > > > > " Visual thinking " has nothing to do with it. That's more to do with a > > cognitive style, and less to do with any particular result of it. > > > > > Anyone have similar experience? > > > Daneka, who is surprised by the number of us who have the same experience > > > > Daneka, ALL male drivers NEVER ask directions. > > > > - Bill, 76, AS; ...who has no such driving problem <wink> > > > > -- > > WD " Bill " Loughman - Berkeley, California USA > > http://home. earthlink. net/~wdloughman/ wdl.htm > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 20, 2008 Report Share Posted July 20, 2008 That's pure speculation, Bill. > > Bill, good one and so true. It makes us ladies crazy too. Verleen > > > >> > > Daneka, ALL male drivers NEVER ask directions. > > > > - Bill, 76, AS; ...who has no such driving problem <wink> > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 20, 2008 Report Share Posted July 20, 2008 Think he might let me have some of his snacks? > > > > > This whole driving issues has me curious. I would > > > have assumed that > > > > > people with Aspergers, being " visual > > > thinkers, " would excel at > > > > > navigating while driving. > > > >[ snip ] > > > > > > Autism spectrum disorders are a really mixed bag, and just > > > like > > > anyone else, no two of us are alike. Some AS, like some NT > > > are very > > > good drivers. Most are average, and then some AS and some > > > NT are very > > > bad drivers. Though " executive function " > > > impairment is definitely > > > more common with AS, and I certainly have executive > > > function > > > imparment, this does not affect my driving. Most of your > > > decisions > > > have to be pretty instantaneous, LOL, there is not a lot to > > > pre-plan, > > > other than knowing where you want to go, and which way to > > > get there. > > > > > > Though I am slower to process verbal input, I don't > > > seem to have a > > > problem taking in all the other stimuli that I need to be > > > aware of my > > > environment when I am driving. And as Jennie once explained > > > about > > > herself, when I get into a vehicle, it becomes part of me, > > > I can > > > " feel " every part of it. > > > > > > I can also sense what other drivers are going to do, just > > > by their > > > behaviors at the wheel, and I noticed my son (way more NT > > > than me) > > > has this ability too. This makes it possible for us to cut > > > in and out > > > of traffic with ease, LOL. > > > > > > Some folks are terrible drivers because they don't have > > > that sense of > > > what others are going to do. They may be too distracted to > > > drive, > > > they may be too un-coordinated to drive, they may simply be > > > too > > > inattentive or too slow to react to situations to drive. > > > And it may > > > or may not have anything to do with AS. > > > > > > Some AS have severe ADD in the mix (I have ADD) and yet, > > > ADD in and > > > of itself is not a problem for driving - in fact some very > > > GOOD > > > drivers have severe ADD. But it's really, really vital > > > to be able to > > > " know " how others around you are going to react, > > > and also, to have a > > > good reaction time yourself. > > > > > > I think the only time that AS may come into play where it > > > comes to > > > driving difficulties is that AS in general are slower to > > > mature than > > > NT. They are slower to learn a skill so if, say, they never > > > properly > > > learned to ride a bicycle, never mind ride one in traffic > > > as a child, > > > getting driving down might be a challenge for teenage AS. > > > Being too > > > hyperfocused may present a problem too, as then the person > > > would not > > > be taking in all the information they need to make a > > > decision when > > > getting around in a vehicle. But again, not a problem for > > > me, I > > > started driving when I was 18. Some slower maturing AS may > > > not be > > > able to drive in their teens, but may be able to do so ten > > > years > > > later when their brain has developed a bit more, and they > > > have gained > > > more experience interacting with the outside world. > > > > > > I think that except in rare circumstances, anyone can learn > > > to drive, > > > but it may take some lots and lots and lots of practice for > > > some. > > > Some folks should seriously, seriously go back to driving > > > school! > > > Now, if it's obvious the person is a menace on the > > > road, LOL, well > > > then I would not push it, and some people simply can not > > > drive. I > > > know some folks who are just too anxious to drive, or else > > > stand on > > > principle that automobile ownership is a luxury our poor > > > stressed > > > planet can no longer afford, and, that's cool too. > > > - Helen > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 20, 2008 Report Share Posted July 20, 2008 Admit it, .. you must have been known Mozart in another lifetime LOL > > Hi Daneka, > > I am really the opposite of a visual thinker when it comes to directions! I am one of those Math/ Music AS folk, and some authors even write about us. On the other hand, maybe I am visual in the sense some people mean, since I usually do not think in words, since they are too slow, and sometimes I do not knwo the words. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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