Balance, Dancing, Skiing

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I am now a 55 year old man and was just this year officially diagnosed with being on the autism spectrum.
I learned bicycling around age 6, had a mishap and broke my arm, I still bicycle to this day and find it very enjoyable, in fact I enjoy the solitude with cycling. I have participated in some organized bike rides aand enjoyed being in the group, but there was not a big social connect.
I have however some difficulties with balance, I can ride ok, but it is stressful and more difficult for me to bike without touching the handlebars. I have had similar balance problems with skiing and skating. It always felt to me like I was concentrating too much or thinking to much about it. Now with my new diagnosis I wonder if all of this may be connected and if it maybe is also an explanation for my inability to dance, I have no rhythm or good coordination and find it extremely hard to learn.
Is this part of ASD?
Does it help to practice?
I had been able to bike pretty good freehanded after practicing and when I rode more frequently, but recently I feel I am no longer able to do it and have more anxiety about it...

Many people are not all that great at "balance." It doesn't seem as if you have marked difficulty in this area.

Nor do you seem to have marked difficulties socially; perhaps you're just not the assertive, "social butterfly" type.

What were you like as a child? Did people feel there was "something wrong" with you? Were you put in any special program in school?

As for practice: it always helps to practice. It took me until age 7 1/2 to learn to ride a bike. It took me until age 37 to get my driver's license.

Welcome to Wrong Planet.

Many Aspies have problems with their 5 senses. But there are also a couple more senses that are affected. The sixth sense is called proprioception, the perception of body position, which is important for balance and agility in movement. The seventh sense is vestibular, which is the perception of our body in relation to gravitational force and acceleration.

Proprioception is the sense of the relative position of neighboring parts of the body and strength of effort being employed in movement. This sense is very important as it lets us know exactly where our body parts are, how we are positioned in space and to plan our movements. This sense encompasses fine and gross motor skills. Examples of our proprioception in practice include being able to clap our hands together with our eyes closed, write with a pencil and apply with correct pressure, and navigate through a narrow space.

The vestibular system explains the perception of our body in relation to gravity, movement and balance. The vestibular system measures acceleration, g-force, body movements and head position. The vestibular system includes the parts of the inner ear and brain that help control balance and eye movements. Examples of the vestibular system in practice include knowing that you are moving when you are in an elevator, knowing whether you are lying down or sitting up, and being able to walk along a balance beam.

Proprioception
Those with proprioceptive hyposensitivity have difficulty knowing where their bodies are in space and are often unaware of their own body sensations, for example, they may not feel hunger. They bump into objects and people stumble frequently and have tendency to fall. They have a weak grasp and drop things.

* This affects fine motor control (i.e. tying shoe laces, buttons, difficulty writing, clumsiness, difficulty providing a firm handshake, difficulty in opening twist off bottles or lids).
* Their sense of balance, such as being upside down, or feet off the ground.
* Sensitivity to wearing shoes with elevated heels.

Vestibular
The vestibular system is a complex sense that provides a perception of bodily position, motion, and gravity. It contributes to our ability to maintain balance and body posture. This body system is located in the inner ear. Anomalies in this system can produce the flooding types of stressors:

* Imbalance, stumbling, difficulty walking straight or when turning.
* Clumsiness or difficulty with coordination. This can lead to tripping in hallway, and our inability to play sports
* Tendency to look downward to confirm the location of the ground.
* Tendency to touch or hold onto something when standing, or to touch or hold the head while seated
* Can cause one to be “gravitationally insecure” – anxious if their feet leave the ground. This can produce an extremely uncomfortable feeling when upside down which can result in terror when riding a roller coaster in an amusement park, terror when trapped in a moving elevator, and fear of flying on an airplane, or skydiving
* Disoriented after spinning, jumping or running
* Carsickness, motion sickness, and nausea

I've been doing balance and stretching exercises. Still can't do splits but I'm noticeably more flexible. And I have a great sense of where my body is in space now!

kraftiekortie
I was doing well in school academically, I did however have a lot of support ant tutoring from my parents (both teachers). Socially I was relatively isolated, kind of an outcast and loner. All my symptoms by themselves could probably be dismissed as just being a little different personality. I have read descriptions of "mild autism" as being "just typical male", insensitive, etc... Incidence estimates of mild autism as high as 1 in 250. I have always felt something may not be quite right with me or something is different.
I went through a formal assessment (combination of IQ test, neurological testing, skills tests, and interview) late last year and was given a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder without accompanying intellectual impairment.

I never thought of my balance difficulties as anything special until I looked at the "spectrum" and thought about my coordination issues with skiing, dancing, athletics, gymnastics, inability to play well in any ball sport in school. None of them were pronounced enough by themselves to be considered "disabilities", probably more considered lack of talent. I don't think of them as unsurmountable obstacles and practice may help, but I look at them now as little puzzle pieces of my overall neurological makeup.