How clumsy are you?

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So is it natural for aspies to be clumsy at things that they do? I always seem to screw up and piss people off no mater what I do. I would be doing something make one tiny mistake and then everyone would start yelling at me. I lately have been making mistakes more and more lately and it seems to be getting worse. Not so sure what the cause of it is but when I am done people would think I need some sort of guide or assistance to help me and I find this to be humiliating. What could I do about this? How clumsy are you and how do you people react to it?

Clumsiness is one of the more common traits, and I'm no different. I'm always dropping and spilling drinks. People tell me I walk funny. My shoulders slam into door frames when I walk through doorways. (How do you miss a doorway?) I once broke my foot after tripping and falling down three steps. I have such awful balance that I can't bear standing on a small stool to change a light bulb. And so on and so forth.

Fairly so, but I seem to get by.

Minus the broken foot part, I could have easily written this, along with a laundry list of ridiculous clumsy habits. I think it has a lot to do with my depth perception issues and my vestibular sensitivities. My clumsiness seems very suspicious to people, since I am very athletic and have a unique sense of balance and coordination. I do well at things that are choreographed (things I can break down into parts and mimic) but I'm terrible when it comes to couple's dancing or group sports or catching Frisbees. I loose my sense of spatial orientation quite easily and I've had to quit sports like figure skating once I got to the level of jumps and spins.

When I walk down a hallway, I get very disoriented and can't walk a straight line. I also become more clumsy when I'm aware of people staring at me for my odd gait and unusual posture (I don't slouch, I have very good posture but it appears to be contrived).

My clumsiness has become sort of a comedic act for me. I'd make a great Lucile Ball so I just go with it and allow others to have a good laugh at my expense. I have some coordination and athletic talents that are unique and help me to save face. Then again, I get tired of people who know I'm clumsy but insist on pointing it out or asking, "why are you so clumsy?" or "you should be more careful". Very helpful input.

I'm not quite as clumsy as Jory, but coming close, and known for it in my family. On a good day I can climb a 7-foot stepladder in the middle of a room to change a light bulb: on an average day I want that stepladder next to a wall: and on a bad day a little stool is as much as I can handle, so it varies. I once lurched getting out of a chair, and fell against a wall, and my hip knocked in a triangular piece of drywall, completely detached and fallen down inside. It was a bad day, but nevertheless became legend in my family. I do also have the mechanical walk. I've often thought that maybe I should have taken a year of ballet class, and practiced, and that would have helped with my coordination, since learning helps most things about the Asperger's, but I never got around to it, and it's a little late now, at age 68.

OP, I'd suggest from what you say that being aware of being watched, and self-conscious about your movements, might just make you worse. I'd say, "forget about it", but I do realize that that's more easily said than done.

My dad treats me like a total as*hole because of my clumsiness. I recently dropped an ice cube tray accidentally while filling it up, and he yelled at me and told me to "calm down," as if I had thrown it to the floor in anger or something. It pisses me off because he knows about my clumsiness and is just using it as an excuse to be verbally abusive.

I do this about once a week. That or run into someone turning a corner, or bump into somone's desk ect, ect. I tried playing volleyball a few years ago (i'm tall) but was too uncoordinated.

My dad scolds me all the time for doing such things. He is short tempered.

I'm so clumsy I drop my cellphone or quarters almost everytime I've to put in quarters on the bus.

Speaking of dads- I'm not bitter and I try to sympathize with how difficult it is to raise children in general, but my father regularly punished me (grounded, sent to room and told I couldn't talk or move) for events that were a direct result of my neurological difference. I was grounded for talking with my hands, bouncing and rocking while standing, not making eye contact, clumsy behavior, sleeping issues, etc.

My clumsiness has gotten me in trouble with work and social situations as well. Again, people think it's an act because I've learned to compensate for my differences. So when I screw up, it's spectacular. It's like a circus performance that went terribly wrong.

Does anyone else have a particular way of navigating stores and locations with breakables? I must look like that chick from that episode of Seinfeld, the one that didn't move her arms when she walked. When I step into a store like this, it's like I'm entering a different atmosphere and become like a robot, focused on not breaking anything. I never truly enjoy shopping in these places because of it.

That's all....for now.

Cheers!! !

Finally a reason why I prolly dont swing my arms when I walk. I have problems with the trolley as well I keep bumping the trolley into the shelves. Last time I did this I felt so bad.. three kids doing their shopping nearby came to help me stack the boxes I bumped into.

I have been clumsy all my life that I can clearly remember.
I still hurt myself very regularly because my motor movements are sometimes inaccurate.
It isn't much fun to go through your life always running into or bumping into something! I have learned to simply "bounce off" things as needed. It's one way to not get hurt!

I get the sense that objects deliberately project themselves in my way just so that they'll get some attention. At this point I'm used to it.. I've also gotten good at moving things to where they are highly unlikely to behave this way, and I've gotten good at reacting quickly when they work their magic. I don't get annoyed much by it anymore, it seems like a waste of energy

I went out this evening and someone had to prevent me from walking into a glass door. Then the nervous laughter came along with a dizzy spell which kept me from walking a straight line out of the restaurant. I could see the reflection of the people starring at me as I exited stage right. Whatever. I wore by good butt jeans so it's all good.

That was one of three fairly clumsy episodes I've had since last posting.

Just sayin'....

Last month, I stapled my thumb.

Last edited by Tudball on 26 Aug 2011, 11:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I was when I was a child, but now I don't seem to have much of a problem with it. One thing I did was I practiced walking on the curbs of the sidewalks as I went from place to place. That might help. Another thing might be to have your inner ear checked out. Problems with it often lead to issues with balance.

Bravo! At least our clumsy episodes are creative, dynamic and entertaining. I'm an expert at falling and can rescue myself with some odd acrobatic moves. It's not always pretty but it adds flair to the performance. If only I could step out of a fall into a roundoff backhandspring.

I almost end every "show" with a bow or curtsy for my audience. I'm not kidding. I've even accidentally backhanded someone, hitting them in the face or (embarrassing pause) the ball region. Like an encore.

It's quite nice to be able to joke about this with like-coordinated people. I always joke but I don't feel embarrassed about it here.