anyone here have trouble giving directions?

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I seem to have a mental block with giving directions. I'm not sure if it's just me, or if other Aspies have it..
I drive to the same stores a few times every week, but if someone asks me how to get to one of them, I cannot, for the life of me, explain to them which way to go, what turns to take, where the stoplights will be, etc. I just cannot give directions, even simple ones.
I can follow them, though, as long as I write them down.
Anyone else have this?

I have the same problem- I can never think of how to direct people somewhere. One of my biggest fears is having to answer the phone to direct a delivery driver to our house- our last house was in a new estate and wasn't on all the maps so it happened pretty regularly.

Me too. I just kind of "feel" where I am supposed to go, but couldn't for the life of me recollect the names and order of shops etc. on the way.

I'm not very good at givving people directions and instructions, I try and make it clear what i'm saying, and they just have absolutley no idea what I mean.

Well, it's good to know I'm not the only one! Do you think it's the asperger's or is it just something that some people have trouble with for no apparent reason?

I'm new to the forum, because I just found out about AS.
One thing I've noticed that is cute is that everyone on these Aspie sites 98% of the time, will apologize for or otherwise comment if they write a long post. It's something I've always done and I haven't seen too many people do, but here, everyone does it. Maybe we are more considerate or self-aware than others?

What I always do is tell people to go right, whilst pointing and really meaning left...... doesn't half get some funny looks.....

I am also horrible at giving directions. I need to visualize a place to know how to get there, and if I am not familiar enough with the route, I have to actually be walking it to know where to go.

Instead of giving verbal instructions, when I can I draw a quick map for people.

I always think it is ironically funny when people call my work and ask for directions somewhere - I want to say 'You've got the wrong dispatcher - I always park my truck against the back wall of the parking lot so I don't lose it, so I have NO CHANCE of giving you directions . . .'

Fortunately for the city of Arlington we have a great little map program that we can use to track people . . .

I never have known the difference between right and left - I had to learn which was my right hand by conciously remembering that my right hand is the one I write with . . .

I can't even tell people where places are let alone give directions how to get there.

Before Christmas our family therapist asked what I was doing over the holiday. I told him I always visit my Dad on Boxing day ~ he then said 'Where does your Dad live?'

I had to turn to my wife and ask her where my Dad lives ~ It was very annoying because everyone laughed thinking that I didn't know where my Dad lives.

The thing is I do know where he lives ~ it's just that I know it in pictures and when you are in a verbal conversation how can you give someone a picture that is in your head?

Sometimes I think I know more things in pictures than many people would ever be able to describe in words.

Last edited by Asparval on 22 Jan 2005, 2:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I do the exact same thing, animallover. I tried doing the thing where you make an "L" shape with your left hand, and even that doesn't work for me, because the backwards "L" made by the right hand reminds me enough of an "L" for me to be confused by that, too. Now, I just imagine a pencil in my hand, and I know that one is the right one.




Me, too. That's what I meant, when I said I have to visualize a place. Though I can't always visualize the route, just the location.

Try drawing maps . It helps a lot.

I've always been better at giving directions based on them being written down or having a map in front of me, other than that I feel tongue-tied when speaking and can often seem confusing as I've been told.

I'm just useless at both navigation and giving directions. I could take someone there but hopeless at explaining . I dont hink this is just an aspie issue cos I'm an NT and have the same problems

I'm usually pretty good at giving directions.

Unless the person who's asking me is on campus and in a car. In which case I tell the driver "I could give you directions if you were walking, but I don't know how to drive there." Our road layout is like that.

I cringe when somebody stops to ask me directions. I know how to get around my city very well, but I can't give directions without messing up. For a while I've been telling those people that I've just moved to my area from London. Most of the people believe me, but I'm going to start telling them to find a Gas Station and ask the Employees there for directions.

At least you're honest - I have heard from various sources that some people (esp. in Japan as not giving directions is deemed impolite!) give directions just for the sake of politeness, even if they don't actually know them!

I once deliberately gave a car full of Nuns (who were asking for directions to a monastery, believe it or not ) completely the wrong directions in my wreckless youth.... I was such a bad widdle boy.....