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Plywood
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14 Sep 2010, 12:52 pm

I CAN'T follow directions at all...
I never could, I never could figure out how to learn from listening to people. I am good at reading directions then doing it but listening I can't do.
What gives?



SteelMaiden
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14 Sep 2010, 1:04 pm

I am just the same. When someone gives me directions I get completely lost. I learn by reading, not by listening. I remember that I couldn't follow spoken instructions (ie when doing an experiment) at school and I had to be given written instructions. By the time the person has finished instructing me, I've forgotten what they said at the beginning


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iceb
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14 Sep 2010, 1:09 pm

It is very difficult when there is a long list of directions mainly because of insufficient working memory to keep all the directions in sequence without losing some or getting them out of sequence.
Have a pen and paper - draw a map or write a list - this works for me.


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pgd
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14 Sep 2010, 1:22 pm

Plywood wrote:
I CAN'T follow directions at all...
I never could, I never could figure out how to learn from listening to people. I am good at reading directions then doing it but listening I can't do.
What gives?


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http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/voice/auditory.html
http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/ea ... itory.html
http://www.ericdigests.org/2003-5/auditory.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Working_memory



Coldkick
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14 Sep 2010, 2:29 pm

In kindergarten I couldn't even follow one instruction, it took me forever to finally be able to follow instruction. Even now I can't do something with more than three instructions without having to ask again.



OddFiction
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14 Sep 2010, 2:42 pm

Not that uncommon.
I do a lot better if I'm shown what to do, or have a written list to go back to when I get forgetful.
Tell people you have a bad memory, carry a small pad of paper in your pocket. Ask them to write down instructions, or show you "the first time" how to do it. They'll usually get all huffy but they'll show you how to do it.

I think one of the main reason instructions tend to be forgotten is because a lot of the people giving the list of instructions are not giving enough details. This means our heads are trying to solve how to do the first instruction (trying to fill in the details, answer all the questions) while they are already giving the second instruction. Along the way, one of them gets lost because our heads are too busy already. Then "poof" there is too much we missed and we get flustered.

"Go weed the garden, then go to the post office and mail this, then get pizza with green olives and extra cheese."

They're done the sentance, and we're still thinking "Do I know the difference between a weed and a flower, and if I make a mistake, what's going to happen?"


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