NVLD and Driving

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I have NLD. I took so many lessons that the driving test seemed like child's play when I finally took it. Most people flunk it even 7 times, I passed on the 2nd attempt.

You can control the difficulty of driving. NTs do so too. Many never drive at night. Many refuse to drive in city traffic, or in highways, or to do parallel parking (spending more money on parking lots) or on rainy days or at rush hour.

I started very gradually. At the beginning I'd only drive around the area where I used to take my lessons, then I gradually started driving in streets I knew by heart but only during very low traffic hours, when I gained more confidence I started driving with heavier traffic, etc. etc. I've only recently started overtaking, and I've been driving for almost 20 years.

To this day, I keep checking the speedometer all the time, otherwise I have no sense of my own speed. I'm extra mindful of other cars because I'm aware of my visio-spatial limitations. I take a lot more distance precautions than other people. I refuse to drive during the pre-weekend shopping hysteria in the center of the city, enjoying very much the bus ride instead.

I live in the Middle East, where everyone is crazy and aggressive driving is the norm. If you're in the US or the UK, it'll be a lot easier for you.

Huge amounts of practice, gradual challenges, practising on your own with no cars around and being always more careful than others is key, in my opinion. That said, it depends on each individual's level of visio-spatial disability. Mine is so that it can be greatly improved with verbal explanations and extensive practice.

Just wanted to add that I always swore I'd never drive due to my clumsiness, but one day a friend said she'd nudge me to death till I started taking lessons, so in order to get her out of my hair I took 1 lesson, then I decided to take another, and another, and the rest is history. On the 1st lesson I told the teacher that I'd only watch, I'd sit on the passenger's seat. He said "ma'am, no one pays me to watch. You go do the driving yourself or else there's no lesson." I was more afraid of him than of his car, so I pressed the pedal, the car moved ahead, and I was immediately hooked.

I'm so bad at orientation that I get lost even with a GPS, so I don't use mine. What works best for me is to study the map before going out, once and again till I have it perfectly memorized, PLUS write down in sentences EXACTLY every move I have to make, and keep the paper in front of me behind the wheel. Even so I get lost a lot, but much less. Before I knew I had NLD, I'd say I was an idiot. Now I just shrug and say "one more of the little disadvantages of having NLD."

Set yourself tiny goals, don't imagine yourself on the freeway during rush hour but say "I want to see if I can reach the next block within a year." and you'll lose the fear. My psychotherapist once confided in me that she was too afraid to learn to drive because she was scared stiff of the freeways. So I said "can't you just learn to drive to the post office in your neighborhood?" It hadn't occurred to her that she could decide never to drive on a freeway if she didn't want to. So she went and got a driving license and is very happy.

I have NVLD and when I was 17 years old and learning to drive I did not know I had NVLD. I would say try driving and do not get too discouraged. Start slowly and give yourself time and like another poster suggested, try a driving instructor that helps people with disabilities. I do fine driving, but I avoid parallel parking and I am unable or avoid backing up into a parking space like a normal person without visual spatial deficits can do. I am extra cautious on the highway and try to go with the flow of other drivers. I do not go too fast, but I will pass someone on the highway if they go way too slow and/or seem to be talking on a cell phone which is a pet peeve of mine. When I received my driver's license I was 18 years old.