Do you look at the entire scene or just a part of it?

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I am currently trying to learn to drive and I've noticed that part of my difficulty is looking at the entire scene in front of me rather than just picking out one thing to look at. If I am walking down the street (if I am not looking at the ground) I don't look at the whole scene, just one thing in it, and then the next, the next.... Usually it is anything with writing on it or small objects in a big scene.

I've spoken to an AS friend who said that he can't help but read everything that he sees as he's passing it. I do similar, including car number plates.

I'm not even sure if it's possible for humans to focus their eyes on an entire scene rather than just one small thing in it. Maybe this is how everyone sees the world. Or maybe this is an extension of "persistent preoccupation with parts of objects".

Any ideas?

I look at my feet mostly.

If I look up I tend to unfocus my eyes and 'fade' everything so it looks like it's moving at a different timing to usual.

You may as well be describing me. Part of my clumsiness is due to my tendency to just follow the line in front of me. I got a ticket once from a cop who claimed that I pulled out right in front of him, and I've gotten flat tires by hitting curbs I didn't know were there. I bump into walls and doorways constantly. When I watch movies, I have a preoccupation with specific scenes and watch them over and over. When I need to do something with any complexity, I'm a very "one thing at a time" person. The only way I ever see "the big picture" is when I'm overwhelmed by all the sounds around me. If you've seen the Sherlock Holmes film with Robert Downey, picture the scene in the restaurant and you'll have an idea of what I experience quite often.

It's definitely an AS trait. You see the details before you see the whole. I have that problem too, and that's why I don't drive. I feel more comfortable biking for some reason. I think the reason is when I'm riding my bike I can depend on my ears for information on what is coming from behind me. In a car, I would need to remember to look in the rear view mirror.

I posted this on another thread, but I think it relates to your situation. I bet anything you would perceive the small letters first.

I look at the entire scene.

I have this problem in life in general. I am unable to focus on the bigger picture and become entrapted in some small detail where I spend way too much energy considering its importance to the overall scene

I definitely saw the letters first when I saw those letters in the other thread. It was kind of weird. Now that I know what it is I can't tell.

But I think I get more of the entire scene. Sometimes it can feel like there's too much all at once. At the same time I can focus on a detail of it as well. I can't say for sure because I'm not sure but it seems like the entire scene and that's why walks and driving (and other things) can feel like there's too much of everything. But then I say that and I don't know for sure.

Look at this thread of differences between NT/Aspie conversations. The blogger is quoted as saying that he picks up all kinds of details. But it seems like what he describes with the aspie conversation is getting the whole scene. That's what I don't get.
http://www.wrongplanet.net/postt164501.html

It took me a while to learn driving perfectly almost 5 whole years but it was worth it... reversing took me almost an year to learn. My dad on top of everything else took me to one of those steep slopy areas and made me learn back reversing over there even though I kept telling him I cant do it He did not understand and kept saying I get too scared to even try... grr what ever that means.. He never let me give up till I got the hang of it... My mom could never learn driving though she has aspergers too.

I tend to look at the edges of things, and then zero in on the center. When shopping in a store, I tend to scan the shelf that has the product I want, left to right and then narrow it down until I see the item I want. When watching a movie, I tend to focus on the decor and details such as what people are wearing, and tend to miss dialogue or lose track of the plot.

Oddly enough, I am a very good driver. I learned to see patterns in the traffic, and could somehow tell when a driver was about to change lanes even before they signaled. I could also sense when a cop was nearby and drop my speed if I were going too fast.

I've found that wearing sunglasses when I drive (even if it's not sunny), helps my visual processing a lot, and it helps me not look at all the shiny things. I still look at license plat numbers a lot though.

I try and look at everything. When I drive, I watch the road and the cars in front of me. I can see things on the side of the road. But I tend to miss everything else. I have even missed road signs but I look at them too when I drive since they are on the side of the road. It's all multitasking.