Speculative Science
Why do some people have a sence of direction that is so bad it is incomprehensible to other people...
This Is a problem I have personally had all of my life and I would describe it as ridiculous!
I want to know why, and investigate if using visual information and cues can help a person to navigate.
These descriptions were places on the Guardians website from people all around the world, they are not alone!
My sense
of direction is poor to the point of being ridiculous -
far beyond what most people mean when they say they have a poor sense of
direction. I have to do even the shortest journeys 10-20 times before I
can remember the way, and I can easily get confused
going from one room to another in a large house. Directions
are to me what words are to the severely dyslexic. Is this a
scientifically recognised problem?
Joanne
Sheppard, Salford, England
I
did some searching, and it might be a form of something that I came across
termed 'Spatial Dyslexia'. Even if it isn't,
I'm going to adopt this term!
Liz
Mortimer, Heath and Reach, England
When
trying to find my way around in relatively new places all I seem to have in my
head is a vast expanse of nothing. Even with well-rehearsed
long journeys, I seem unable to "hold" the
entire journey in my head. I experience what can only be described as a
series of "sequences" which, in the correct order, "become
revealed" as I progress through the journey. Now I live in a small town
designed on the grid system. I have never experienced any direction problems
living here. This was much to the initial amazement of my husband who, knowing
I was going off exploring alone in the early days of our arrival, was convinced
he'd never see me again. I also use a bicycle a lot here. For myself, I've found that the speed of cycling seems to be
the optimum one for remembering journeys. (I'd never ride a bike in the
UK though - much too dangerous.) Many years ago there was a TV programe in the
UK about this very subject. I missed it!
Sheila
Kirby, Esbjerg, Denmark
I am very
spatially aware when it comes to sports and hand-eye coordination, and I'm
brilliant with a map and compass, but I cannot for the
life of me keep directions in my head. I truly believe it is largely to do with
what is important to you - for 2 reasons. In my case I spend my time thinking
about and analysing, for instance, people, rather than roads, lefts and rights.
Directions are not important to me. The flip-side of that is that it can
then be too important to you to make up for a past record of being rubbish with
directions, and actually end up building an anxiety around the subject which
makes it all the more difficult to focus on.
Seamus,
Chinnor UK
As most
of you have already said: THANK GOD I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE. I feel ashamed and oh so stupid when I get lost or can't remember
instructions sequentially. My husband and kids have learned that the
only way I can learn is the "One, two, three" method. Each part of
completing a direction or process (especially on computer) I have to write each
step down, even if there are only 4 steps.
It is
Dyscalculia http://www.dyscalculia.org/calc.html - May be unable to comprehend
or "picture" mechanical processes. Lack "big picture/ whole
picture" thinking. Poor ability to "visualize or picture" the
location of the numbers on the face of a clock, the geographical locations of
states, countries, oceans, streets, etc. - Poor memory for the
"layout" of things. Gets lost or disoriented easily. May have a poor
sense of direction, lose things often, and seem absent minded.
Jules
Ong, Penang, Malaysia
More
discussions about this can be found on:
My review
of information
One recurring factor is that people can’t
comprehend and are misunderstood, leaving people embarrassed. This could lead
to the person becoming flustered or fixated on directions making the task even
harder. Another explanation is priorities, like Seamus, Chinor says: He is preoccupied
with looking at people rather than remembering left and rights, but even if I
concentrate as much as I possibly can, directions escape me, so I will look
further!
Dyspraxia
It is often said that if people have this problem
they are dyspraxic, this is not correct. Although symptoms vary people with
dyspraxia often have problems with co-ordination in relation to motor skills. Poor hand eye co-ordination causing clumsiness. People with
dyspraxia often have bad spacial awareness which makes sports difficult. This
is not the case with Seamus, Chinnor who describes he has good spacial awareness
but lack of the ability to keep directions in his head. I agree with this from
personal experience and it supports my theory that it is not dyspraxia it is
something else.
Dyslexia and
spatial awareness
One of
the most interesting observations we often make when assessing Dyslexics is
their exceptional ability to be spatially aware. Right-brained and Dyslexic
individuals think primarily in images , not words and some Dyslexics find
thinking in words almost impossible. This ability to think in images can make a
right-brained person very strong spatially.
On the opposite side to this there is research to
suggest that in children who are dyslexic often they have great special awareness,
in one study a child was asked to describe her journey up the stairs and into
her bedroom describing everything she could see, while she was sat downstairs,
she was able to do this perfectly. Although I found this research interesting
It partially contradicts what I am specifically researching into but I would be
fascinated to ask her how she does this, if it is based on visual cues, it
would be interesting to test if she is able to navigate as competently in an
environment that she is less familiar with.
More
information on this can be found at:
On the other hand spatial dyslexia has been coined to describe a dyslexic student who as well as showing typical dyslexic symptoms also has difficulties with directions, left and right, following a map, orientation and spatial awareness. This is what I want to look into further.
Dyscalculia
this term is typically used for a condition similar to dyslexia but instead of difficulties with words the problems arise in numbers, ‘A condition that affects the ability to acquire arithmetical skills.
Dyscalculic learners may have difficulty understanding simple number
concepts, lack an intuitive grasp of numbers, and have problems learning
number facts and procedures. Even if they produce a correct answer or
use a correct method, they may do so mechanically and without
confidence.’
Direction/orientation:
Dyscalculic children may have difficulty understanding spatial
orientation (including left and right) causing difficulties in following
directions or with map reading.
more information can be found at:
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