Difficulties with Sequencing & Directionality

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Good day folks (now when will I think of a better intro?)

Here's something rather interesting that I haven't heard mentioned in any ASD diagnostic criteria. After some thinking, and talking to my parents, we've all agreed on the fact that I am bad when it comes to any type of sequencing activity, specifically, if that sequence has to be performed in a particular direction.

After a little research, I found that one of the best indications of trouble sequencing is the ability to learn how to tie laces. While, yes, I can tie my shoes and they don't fall off, learning new knots is "knot" easy (pun intentional) and it's taken me eight years to actually tie a bowline knot accurately... most of the time anyways. Yes, tying knots does involve a sequence of steps with directionality involved... try tying a knot backwards, tell me how it went. Accurately folding clothes was just as hard, still am a crappy folder.

Other things that I didn't know related to trouble with sequences when I was a lot younger (had I known, that would've saved me a lot of trouble) include mixing up the order of letters between numbers and lines. The chances of my accurately copying down text/numbers from one line to another are only moderate.

Lastly, when it comes to getting glassware for doing a reaction, I always make five trips (it seems...) even when I know where all my stuff is; two trips for the chemicals, and one trip for each individual piece of glassware (I suppose it leads to good exercise?).

There's no denying the fact that sequencing, directionality, and a Glflegolas are a bad combination. Have you all great sequencing skills, or are they sub-par at best? From what I gather the brains of those with ASD usually operate in logical, sequenced way, not all over the place, but then again, I could be wrong, this won't be the first time I've been mistaken in such areas...

I can say the alphabet backwards.

I sometimes get confused when I've got to tidy things away, but I always thought that was part of ADHD. I usually end up leaving things on the floor or the couch, because that way I can know where they are. But this makes my family mad at me, and they compare me to a child - which I HATE. I absolutely loathe people saying "you're like a kid". It just insults me and doesn't help any.

It is interesting that you mention laces. My aspie daughter learnt to tie her shoelaces at 3. I believe this is very early. Her NT sister is no way near tying her laces at 4. Anyway, my lace-tying daughter sat for the best part of a day trying and trying again, often chucking the shoes across the room in frustration. I waited. I listened to the howling in frustration. I offered to help. I got told she COULD do it. By the end of the day she could tie her shoe laces. And she never accepted help to tie them ever again.

Not quite sure how that is relevant but.....

I don't have trouble with sequencing and directionality.

When fetching materials to do a reaction, you could take a list and a cart, and put each item on the cart until you reach the end of the list.

There are workarounds for most things.

I do have trouble with abstractions, whether it be a defined term in philosophy, or a need to keep a number in working memory while I perform operations on it. Sometimes writing things down on scratch paper helps.

I have no idea whether it is connected to my ASD but I am terrible at tying knots. I can do an overhand knot and tie my laces with no problem and can manage a figure of eight after a little thought. Anything more complicated though and I struggle regardless of how much I practise.

I did a bit of rock climbing, and snow and ice climbing many years ago but other people would find my inability to tie most of the knots involved infuriating. No amount of practise improved my ability. Every single time I tried to tie a knot it was as if I was starting from scratch. I found it very frustrating and I eventually gave up technical climbing as a result.

As a keen sea kayaker I also find it frustrating that I have difficulty learning some of the more complex paddle strokes. Again, it seems that no matter how much I practise, it feels as though I am starting from scratch each time I use certain paddle strokes.

However, my work often involves following a sequence of instructions in the correct order and I am very good at that.