Dyspraxia and Asperger's

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Suspected Aspraxie here.

I've never been ambidextrous, in fact I can't write with my left hand. At all. But my spatial awareness and depth perception have always been horrendous, as have my ball throwing skills and physical coordination. Surprisingly, I can catch a ball fairly well, but my grandad taught me a good trick for catching, and it often works. His dad was a cricketer, btw.

I always bump into things, trip, not notice things that are there and can multitask about as well as a paralysed jellyfish. I also have 'good days and bad days' and have awful handwriting. So yeah.

Dyxpraxia was what happened to the Klingon Moon in Star Trek: the Undiscovered Country... (ok, inside joke, but I couldn't resist...

I always thought it was because I was left-handed. Now it makes more sense, I tend to be a little more careful around doors, etc.

I'm 19 and i've got severe dyspraxia what i will never 'out grow'. My main condition is dyspraxia but speech therepists have said i may have a slight form of aspeguer's syndrome because i find it hard to fit in with my peers and get very nervous of a lot of things. But once I get used to people and feel comfortable with them, I find i get along OK, so that isn't too much of an issue. But having dyspraxia is awkward because my co-ordination is terrible. If for example I was in a supermarket, and somebody told me to go upto the cake and biscuits aisle and pick up a pack of digestive biscuits, I would be hunting all over the shop for it, even if I knew the supermarket pretty well, and whe I reach the aisle I want, I would spend a long time looking for what I've been instructed to get. And also, when I'm walking in the town, I walk all over the place, get in people's way, forget where I'm going, or even walk funny. I can't help walking funny - it's just the way I feel comfortable. It's because I keep thinking I might twist my ankle, so I walk with my feet slightly pointing outwards to keep my balance better. It doesn't notice, but I feel it does. Also, I try to look up when I'm walking so that I can direct myself better, but sometimes I feel I have to look down so I know I'm not going to trip over something or tread on something I didn't want to.

I have it.
I could not understand the concept of physical directions until I've reached Grade 10. At all.
I have poor memory of pictures and diagrams. I can replay a movie on my head of myself walking somewhere, relying on visual cues for orientation. I only remember the most minute visual details, though, and have difficulty putting them together in a sensible way.
I've been training my visuo-spatial perception ever since I was a kid, but it's still very poor. I drop and spill things constantly. I've met some other people on the spectrum and they're not as bad at these things as I am.
I also wrote letters backwards as a kid, despite having learned to read very early, which might be connected.
Plus, I constantly mess up left and right, and whenever I go somewhere, unless it's a usual route I take almost every day, I have to stop and orient myself by visual cues.
I have trouble copying down notes from the board. I used to just listen to what the teacher says and copy down that. Now I use a laptop, which is much faster and I can correct any mistake quicky without making my notes look messy. I can write neatly, but it takes forever to write out the letters, and it hurts my hand after a while. My fast handwriting is very, very messy. People have also told me that I hold the writing utensil the wrong way. But that's the only way that feels comfortable for me.
I still ride my bike in a wobbly kind of way, and only take well-known routes when I bike.
And when it comes to sports and dancing... don't even ask.

I think having problems articulating my speech is also related to it; I have that, too.

I can catch and throw a ball ... but I am very, very clumsy. I am ALWAYS tripping over my own two feet, and I constantly run into doorknobs. I pretty much have a constant bruise in the middle of both forearms from swinging them into doorknobs. I just don't realize I'm so close to them.

I'm also very afraid of falling when walking on snow or ice. Paranoid about it, actually. I like to go hiking and can climb up, but have an awful time mentally walking back down a hill. So afraid of falling ... I used to have a very tough time getting onto and off of the escalator, but I'm better about that these days.

Dyspraxia = bad coordination
Asperger's = autism

Very different things, though dyspraxia is common in Aspies.

I didn't learn to walk till I was 2, and was late learning to tie shoelaces and ties. Never did learn to ride a bike. I was the worst in the year at school at all games and PE. Couldn't catch, throw or run far.

I grew out of some of it. I can do long distance running, and pass for normal at the gym.

Handwriting's still atrocious, and slow. Learned to drive at age 30, with much difficulty and stress.

None of this was diagnosed at the time of course. It was back in the sixties. I feel much better now that I understand.

dyspraxia can have alot of an effect on social skills. I know 3 people who have it and they do not have asd. they have difficulties with socialising.