Anyone else with visual/spatial issues?

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I have severe issues with comprehending and processing spatial information and visual diagrams. By this I mean I usually can't tell left from right, have problems interpreting directions, usually can't navigate a new area and often get lost, have to count squares when given a random point on a Cartesian grid or chess board (even though I've been playing chess and using Cartesian grids for years), have problems using geometry (even though I excel in algebraic fields of math) or interpreting visual diagrams, have great difficulty driving (for this and other reasons I have decided to never drive again), and am poor at drawing (my drawings look unrealistic and out of proportion, particular if they are supposed to represent something 3D). I want to be tested for a learning disability so that I can get accommodations on tests (in high school, I got extended time on tests that involved geometry or visual diagrams, however because I didn't qualify for a learning disability the accommodation was based on my anxiety and migraines), but this isn't really recognized as a learning disability based on the research I've done. I'm planning on talking to my school's disability resources so I can hopefully get accommodations and get tested if there is such a test, but I really doubt it since I haven't been diagnosed with anything in the way of LDs yet and I have no other learning problems, in fact I excel in anything else. It could be due to my mild cerebellar ataxia (I've heard that some people with ataxic CP have difficulties with depth perception) or just due to my autistic "learning style" (according to Temple Grandin verbal and pattern thinkers like me are poor at drawing). Has anyone experienced similar problems (from my understanding they are relatively rare, as they've never been classified as a learning disability), and does anyone have any advice for doing well in classes or other situations where I'm expected to have a good spatial understanding?

That sounds very difficult to cope with.

I am visually impaired by a neurological problem. Congenital Nystagmus. It's believed to be an entirely separate entity than the Autism. It can cause me to struggle with my general vision, depth perception, eye fatigue, sense of space, and balance. So I can relate a tiny bit with having a messed up sense of space. Unfortunate my I don't think I know of anything that might help, I just tend to get bruised up from walking into things. >.> Reminding myself to go slow, take things slowly is really all I've got.

I have some trouble with directions (for going places). I tend to need visual landmarks not mileage and streets. I confuse right and left at times, I think this may be just autism related for me though.

Sorry I can't help, good luck!

Yes, I do have something like that.
I never got any LD diagnose. I'm just not visual... I'm very poor at drawing. I can't drive and riding a bike is stressful enough for me because I need to quickly interpret visual information. No way I could play FPS video games.

I'm not that bad at gemoetry, I imagine myself touching the figures and telling things about them. 2d, 3d, Nd, doesn't really matter. I'm a pattern thinker and I can translate geometric problem into algebraic formulas that are easier (for me) to deal with.

Funny thing, I often drop things like silverware, laughing it off as ataxia. And I have incredibly shaky hands. My collegues laughed at me at high school beacuse of that. But I never pursued any diagnosis for this, either. I just see that as my weaknesses, I have also enough strengths to compensate and go on.

I have terrible spatial and depth perception as well. I'm constantly fascinated how other people go into a large, complex shopping mall or other building and then just naturally seem to know how to find their way back.

It's crazy, but it took me over 4 years to realise the corner of my room was actually the corner of the house - I kept thinking my neighbour's house was on the other side of my wall!

I wish I had some useful advice to give you. I've found some assistance with writing directions on bits of paper but it's time-consuming. Maybe you can find an app that would help? (And then tell me about it - haha).

It's great that you're asking for extra assistance where needed.

I have NVLD, so yes, I have poor visual-spatial abilities. Thankfully, my skills have gotten better over the years, but I think it's mainly just from so many years of having to adapt. I relied on my memory to get me through math classes. Algebra is the only math I'm good at. I'd memorize how to do a problem, find patterns in the questions and learn which steps to do when, even though I had no clue what I was doing or why. My memory and the fact that I'm good at algebra is the reason I was able to go so far in math for my science degree. But I know I'll never drive due to the NVLD. I think, if it were possible to practice safely, over time, I could do it, but there's too much unpredictability in driving, and you can't afford to make a mistake. I take the bus. No stress. I also enjoy bettering my visual-spatial deficits with puzzles and such. I'm terrible at quickly doing puzzles that require mental rotation and the like, but if I sit and study them, I can force myself to figure it out and improve my 3D visualization. And while NVLD is not an "official" DSM diagnosis, if you meet the criterion (15+ point difference between VIQ and PIQ), you can be diagnosed with "learning disorder, NOS." That's what the neuropsychologist who diagnosed me did.

I still use the trick of making an L shape with my index finger and thumb to figure out which is left and right. I also have no sense of direction and require a GPS to go anywhere. Thank you Google. I had one of the first consumer standalone GPS units for cars when I started driving back when I was 16 and that fixed most of my problems. I could no longer get lost

I’m always bumping into things or dropping things. The funny thing is, according to professional testing, I’m a spatial genius. I can drive, but I often have issues parking into spaces. I get lost ridiculously easily, so I always use a GPS. Although I will say diagrams are my preferred method, and Geometry was easier than Algebra.

I was really bad at geometry at school. I score low on the spatial tests I've tried online.

https://www.iqutest.com/spatial-test-paper-folding

I understand how the test works, but I can't for the life of me, get past the example question. It makes my head hurt.

I'm 52, I don't know if that makes a difference as far as testing(1985), but when I got tested the results were ADD, auditory processing disorder, and spatial learning disability. Same with directions, buildings, etc. I also can't accurately find where a noise is coming from. I think someone's talking to me on my left when it's my right, etc. But to tell you the truth I don't really have a clear understanding of what a spatial LD means.

I have a poor sense of direction. I will only go around the small area I know. It will get me to some shops including a supermarket, and to a cafe. I could get to the doctor's but my stepdaughter comes with me. All these are in the centre of town.

Quite a lot of people like jigsaws ,but I've never been able to do them. Generally I've never been any good at constructing things.

I did the spatial tests at https://discovermyprofile.com/tag/Intelligence . Result= 19/123 = 15.45% I also tried http://www.testmybrain.org/tests/matrix ... uerule.php. These for most people would I think be fairly simple. My score 17, with average being 25.56. I scored better than 0 out of 10 people.It's a test of visual spatial thinking.

Do any of you do this? When at the doctor's and they take you in the rooms. It's like, oh my god, all the doors look the same, a hallway here, a hallway there, I feel like such an idiot. I've gone to the same APRN for years and I have to count the doors to hers. All the doors look the same. Lol, the stuff we go through.