Walking out of a shop the wrong way and suddenly it’s a brand new street. Following the blue dot round in circles. The escalator hover.
Dyspraxia can affect spatial awareness, directions and moving through busy places, which makes getting around a lot more work.
Out and about
Finding your way from one place to another draws on spatial awareness, a sense of direction and the ability to move through busy spaces. All three can be affected by dyspraxia, which makes ordinary journeys more demanding than they look.
- Directions: Left, right, north… who knows?
- Maps: Turning them to face your way.
- Crowds: Dodging people takes real effort.
- Escalators: Timing that first step.
- Busy stations: Signs, noise, and rushing.
- Carrying stuff: Bags, coffee, tickets, balance.
Where am I?
These moments are so common that many dyspraxic people assume everyone has them. They don’t, or at least not nearly as often.
- Leaving a shop the wrong way: Suddenly it’s a whole new street.
- Following the blue dot in circles: Which way am I even facing?
- The escalator hover: Waiting for the perfect moment.
- Bumping into strangers: Sorry. Sorry. So sorry.
Make it easier
You can’t change how your brain builds maps, but you can choose conditions that make navigating easier. A little planning removes most of the stress.
| Harder | Can be easier |
|---|---|
| Rush hour. | Travelling just outside peak times. |
| Spoken directions. | A pin dropped on a map. |
| Juggling bags and coffee. | A backpack and a cup with a lid. |
Find your way
A few habits make a big difference to how confident you feel when you’re somewhere unfamiliar. They all work by giving you something concrete to follow.
- Do a practice run: Try new routes before the big day.
- Use landmarks: “Left at the red door” beats “head north.”
- Screenshot the route: In case your signal drops.
- Leave extra time: Getting lost is less stressful when early.
Travel kit
What you carry matters too. The less you have to hold, juggle and keep track of, the more attention you have left for working out where you are.
- A backpack: Hands free
- A power bank: Maps drain battery
- Headphones: Cut the noise
- Digital tickets: Nothing to drop
- A lidded bottle: Spills cancelled
Good to know: The Hidden Disabilities Sunflower lanyard is recognised at many UK airports and stations if you’d like extra support.
Lost isn’t failing
It’s worth being gentle with yourself about this. Getting lost can feel embarrassing, especially somewhere you’ve been before, but it isn’t a reflection of your intelligence.
Your brain builds maps differently. It might take more trips to learn a route, and that’s fine.
Everyone gets lost. Some of us just get more practice finding our way back.
Asking for directions is a skill, not a weakness.
Wrapping up
Took the long way round? You still got there.
Plenty of dyspraxic people travel widely and love it. They just do it with a charged phone, a screenshot of the route and a bit of extra time. Arriving by the scenic route is still arriving.
Next in the series: Dyspraxia in Relationships and Dating
This post is for general information and isn’t medical advice or a diagnosis. If it resonates, speak to your GP or an occupational therapist.