My whole life I've struggled telling my left from my right. I'm left handed by birth, but ambidextrous by training. I also have other issues that I had no idea could be related to that left/right struggle. They are issues with visuospatial function..or in my case, dysfunction which I found out by following a random link. It's relief to finally have a name to what I've struggled with my entire life. Some examples: I have difficulty reading maps. I'm constantly either turning the map, or turning myself...literally in circles sometimes...trying to visualize the directions. I struggle with understanding the positional relationship of objects to each other.....kid's wooden jigsaw puzzles for example, SO hard for me to fit them into the right places the right way. Or that office chair I put together. There was a diagram, a picture of the chair assembled, but for the LIFE of me I just couldn't seem to arrange the pieces to match the diagram. I can't do those three D wooden puzzles...CANNOT!!! And so many more things. Those problems (and more) fall under the heading visuospatial dysfunction. Who knew?? I'm not unintelligent, am an avid reader and have no trouble with dyslexia, but this area of visualization of positional relationships. Just can't manage it! Here's a fun test....I failed it miserably!! Take it and tell me how you did! http://psychologytoday.tests.psychtests.com/take_test.php?idRegTest=1328
I was only rated 'Average' Ronni which was a disappointment to me because I spent many years as a draughtsman and spatial perception is a prerequisite for the job. I must say that the last few tests were virtually imperceptible..
The test result said I'm "average" but I have no basis for the choices I made other than they looked like what they could be. Nor would I have been able, at all, to explain why I chose what I did. Always interesting the strengths and weaknesses we all have and how we've all managed to get through life with and without them
Slightly above average. Interesting. I haven't done perceptual drawings in 25 years. I suppose I would still not get lost. Jerry
I didn't do much better either Raddang. The last few had my eyes boggling trying to work them out. I thought I'd do better than I did.
I'm just like you not being able to tell which is left or right instantly but I'm right handed. I had lots of problem with GPS and Becky have to point out with her hand which way to turn when the GPS says turn left or right I did the test and scored average!!! How did I do that???
"Your score on the test was slightly above average, indicating that you have a solid foundation of spatial skills" Say what?
There are a lot of tests out there. I've done a couple more, and scored terrible to barely average. I wish I could describe to you what I deal with because of this visuospatial impairment. It's funny, but it's also frustrating. If I'm in someone's home that isn't mine, even if it's familiar to me...like one of my kids' when I go visit them.... if you point to a window I won't be able to tell you what it looks out on....front, back or either side. Or I'll tell you definitively because I'm that sure! But I'll be completely wrong. The house I'm living in has two stories. I've been living here for several years. If you ask me the relationship of any of the rooms upstairs to the downstairs areas, what they sit above, where they are, I can't tell you. I've been told numerous times, but I just simply can't retain the information. So if I'm sitting in the living room, I have NO CLUE which room is above that. Or the kitchen. Even when I try and work it through, visually imagine going up the stairs and going to the various rooms, I just can't. Even now, as I'm typing, I would SWEAR to you that River's room is directly over the living room. That's the way it feels to me. But I know, intellectually that it's wrong, because River's room looks out onto the street, and the living room looks over the back yard. <sigh> Welcome to my life.
