Directional Sense

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Hi everyone! I'm getting my learner's permit for driving soon. But there's a problem: I have no sense of direction. I'm not sure whether this is an executive trait or a sensory trait, but it's becoming an increasingly important obstacle. I got seriously lost trying to get from the school library down to the main entrance yesterday, even though I was just a couple hallways away!

Does anyone have any tips for coping with problems with a sense of direction?

Do you know how to use a map or a GPS? As long as you know how to find the addresses/intersections you are coming from and going to, you should be able to get to where you're going....

And a lot of finding your way just requires practice. If you look around for landmarks or remember street names, it should help to encode your routes into your memory.

pay attention to memorizing landmarks.

Place a large compass on your dash board which is easy to read whilst driving.
Mark each side of the rear view mirror [L] or [R] and as aspie48 mentions, learn to look out for landmarks then make up a story involving the landmarks to get to or home from locations.

e.g. When I go to my brother's house I forget which road to turn into, so now I look out for a white fence.

Hmm... I'm afraid I have the opposite problem. Some people are convinced I swallowed a map when I was little (I probably memoriesed it!). I suppose the best suggestion is what others have already suggested which is landmarks.

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I have HFA, ADHD, OCD & Tourette syndrome. I love animals, especially my bunnies and hamster. I skate in a roller derby team (but I'll try not to bite )

In addition to what has been suggested so far, I would suggest noticing where the sun rises and sets in your area. This is a great way to learn east and west. Other than noon or after sunset, it should help you get oriented by noticing the position of the sun versus the time of day.

By the way, the price of a decent GPS has sunk to as low as $50 US when on sale. I suspect that the used market is even cheaper. A used GPS would not be as up to date, but would work for most streets (other than really new ones.) I would look for one with a large number of POI's or points of interest. These include businesses that you want to navigate to, and probably their phone number for additional directions from them. Be sure to get one with voice guidance which has "text to speech" so it pronounces the street names. Be sure not to let a GPS be a distraction! Safe driving is more important than getting lost.

I don't have the link handy, but there is a fascinating podcast about a woman who had a sudden onset case of extreme lack of direction. Just Google "RadioLab."

It can be learned.

As a surfer, looking at the sky sun moon and wind via cloud direction all comes naturally without effort now.

Its like softwae that runs in the background and uses little cpu only

I am also directionally-challenged. I have difficulty reading maps, though I think I'm getting better at it. It doesn't help me when people say go north, south, east, west. I have always depended on landmarks. However, the best invention in the world for me is the GPS I started using mine 3 years ago and it has helped me tremendously. I haven't updated it, but I would guess it to be accurate about 97% of the time. As far as getting lost indoors, I do this every time I get to know a new building. It helps me if someone shows me the route where I need to go (once or twice), and I make sure I go the same route every day until it becomes second nature. After a couple of weeks, I get lost less and less often.

On Amazon.com, a used GPS navigator is averaging around $65.00. However, I recommend spending a little more and buying a new one with lifetime map updates. On the Walmart.com website, there is a new Garmin Nüvi with lifetime updates on sale for $89.00. I wish the one I bought came with lifetime updates. Otherwise, the cost of updating is as much as buying a new one.

Also, if you have an iPhone, there is a GPS you can use on the phone. iPhone finds your location using a combination of GPS, Wi-Fi, and cellular towers. As you move, iPhone updates your location automatically. When you arrive, you can drop a pin to mark your location. This could help you find your way whether driving or walking.

Oh, some non-technical advice here. Always give yourself extra time to find a new place, taking into account the possibility of getting lost a couple of times. Depending on the situation, I usually allow myself an extra 15 - 30 minutes. Also, if it is essential that I arrive to a new place on time (such as first day of work), I will scope it out the day before, instead of trying to find it for the first time the morning of.