Is being 'clumsy' normal for ASD?

Post Reply New Topic

Seriously how can anyone know if their Aspergers is causing clumsiness? Is that by ruling out every other disease or disorder as the cause?

At the moment my doctor is sending me for tests for neuropathy, dystonia or Muscular Dystrophy because of my life long history of falling up and down stairs, tripping on invisible objects, intermittent leg dragging and legs suddenly giving way underneath me. I keep getting hurt during the falls is why I finally demanded this be addressed.

Perhaps what I have isn't AS related though because I have multiple symptoms of dystonia including one weird one where my teeth bang together. Dystonia can be caused from head injury and I have had 5 of those. I'm kinda scared though because I have an EMG scheduled next week and he said something about having a muscle biopsy for muscular dystrophy.

Good luck with your EMG next week Ticker. Your point about whether being clumsy is Asperger related or not is what I'm trying to find out. Sounds like in your case it may be a secondary cause or could be the combination of factors.

I just had a talk with my girlfriend this evening and brought up the symptoms of Asperger's. She for the first time acknowledged she is likely one of us specifically due to the 'clumsy' element of AS. She has bumped into, slipped onto, cut into, and fallen onto so many times in her life she just calls herself accident prone. The other symptoms she has are even more glaring than my own.

My main point when talking with her was to simply be aware of these different aspects of ourselves as being ok. Up until last year at my discovery of being a non-NT, I was very judgmental of myself. Now I simply view myself as being unique in a good way. Much more helpful to the self esteem to be that way.

Cheers,
Philski

Thanks Philski. I've had a EMG before of my hand and arm after a work injury and the test was so inhumane I thought it should be made illegal. I hurt for several days afterwards. My friend has already scared me about the muscle biopsy because she had one and told me what they do.

As for the whole clumsiness/AS thing you can keep going to infinitety with this. Consider this- I surveyed a room full of Aspergers adults and parents of ASD children all but one said they had what is called "complicated birth" involving deprivation of oxygen to the fetus. So a-ha you say oxygen deprivation could be the cause of Aspergers and Aspies are clumsy. But- complicated birth is also one of many causes of Dystonia and Dystonia can cause clumsiness. To add even more to the mystery why is it the symptoms of traumatic brain injury and Aspergers are so similar? And TBI can cause Dystonia. Is there connections or just co-incidences?

Right now there's not even an official test for clumsiness. But if there was I'm sure I would test positive for it!

I hate doing this when I am carrying a plate of food, or worse a drink.
I also spill stuff in the kitchen all the time. Sometimes the constant wiping up makes me sad.

I know that feeling all too well... Although it doesn't happen often, when it does it is hell.

i just fell off the closet and broke my foot. i guess that counts. that is not unusual for me. i fell down the stairs a couple weeks ago. i am either falling down, tripping over it or spilling it on me. i see this as an annoyance and try to not let it get to me. by the way, i am really bad at crutches...

I don't know about "ASD" but, I'm an aspie and am often hitting the door jamb with my shoulder as I attempt to exit small rooms such as bathrooms. However, I do things that require coordination such as biking, running, skateboarding, etc without having a lot of mishaps. I also play music on several unrelated instruments. I guess I'm fine with motor control but bad with spacial awareness.

How did you manage to fall "off" a closet? Only a true Aspie could manage that one!

I have been called clumsy before, but I don't think I am too terribly clumsy in my own horribly cluttered habitat, but somewhat clumsy in unfamiliar environments.
Likesay, the last time i went to an Indian buffet with my parents, I was a horrible mess and spilled my soup all over the place..in the yogurt dip..left a trail across the floor...completely ruined a place setting at an unoccupied table...it was awful...
I have done things like break several jars from the fridge at once, and I do bang myself against things from time to time..but not ALL the time.

I have an akward gait and i go up on my toes alot, and I also tend to rely too much on my preiphrial vision rather than looking at what is directly in front of me, so that...combined with a history of lousy motor skills (that have improved with time)...I have had my moments of clumsiness.

i was climbing up to put some stuff away up on the top shelf. since i am 5'3 i was holding on to the bar with my left hand, had my left foot on the shoe holder and jumped up to stuff it into the top. i lost my footing and went down on my ankle. i heard the snap. that in itself was creepy. i know, i should know better but .......

I've always had better hand-eye coordination than anyone I've known, with the exception of two professional jugglers and a few musicians.

I'm sure that I'm a terrible dancer, but more because I always refuse (and have never practiced) than because I'm clumsy.

Ouch! That sounds like a bad experience. I understand what you mean now. And yes hearing a snap in the ankle is creepy. Have experienced it twice as have broke both ankles in my klutzy lifetime.

Clumsiness + highly bruisable skin = not a good combination.

You should see my lower legs!

yeah, i agree, sunshower.
same for me.
usually a great big black bruise somewhere on my calves and lighter ones of varying tones...

I am not clumsy. Inanimate objects are out to get me.

I've been under the impression that we tend to be clumsy when we are on stimulation overload (same as neurotypicals) but because overload happens more frequently for us we appear more clumsy. On a good day, a calm day I'm fine - I can walk across a solid, flat surface without tripping over my own feet, but on a day that I have a lot on my mind, watch out!

So I can't really answer the poll. My clumsiness varies too much.