Does anyone else have these issues (following instructions, working slowly)

[RedHineyMonkey]

Hi everyone.

I'm a 26 year old autistic guy. Knew it since I was about 20. There's a couple of issues I have that I have some questions about. They've caused me quite some trouble up to this point. I always assumed I have these problems because I'm autistic. After all, I'm the only person I know who's autistic and I'm the only person who seems to have these problems, at least at this severity.

The first thing is following instructions. I'll give you an example. The other day, I made reservations for a room in a hostel. The day before I called the hostess to ask how I can enter the building once I arrived. She gave the instructions in a clear and understandable manner: there's this key, there's this key box, there's this locker, there's some door, there's another door... and I just couldn't follow it! The problem wasn't that her way of explaining it wasn't clear, I could tell that! I just somehow couldn't remember it all at the same time and in a logical order. I couldn't even write it down as she was explaining it.

And that issue I've experienced regularly throughout my life. Understandably, this can lead to major problems in a working environment. I wanted to be a medical doctor once, so I studied medicine, but had no choice but to quit after 5 years when my internships began - mostly because of the problem I described above.

Furthermore, I'm strangely bad at reading. I just take a long time to process written text and if I force myself to read stuff at a quicker pace, I tend to skip over certain details, which leads to me making mistakes. Also very troublesome in a professional environment.

Finally, I'm just generally really, really slow. Whenever I'm new at a certain activity, let's say in a work place type setting, I'm just so, sooooo much slower than anyone else. I'm talking easily 3x as slow as a regular person. That's a problem I have time and time again. Depending on the type activity or work, I can eventually speed this up to a passable level, but not always.

So yeah, 3 problems that typify me as an individual. Is there anyone else who has these problems? Is it because I'm autistic, or is this 'just my personality'?

tl;dr - I have trouble following spoken instructions, I'm bad at reading and I'm just a really slow worker. Is it because I'm autistic?

 

[Major Tom]

I sometimes have a problem with directions, I write a lot of things down so I can follow instructions. Maybe if that isn't working for you, you could record the instructions? Also maybe pictorial cards could help. I used them for my son and it seems to help him understand what's going on better and also to understand the daily schedules he follows.

I don't have problems with reading things, but that can depend on what I'm reading. Give me a Stephen King novel and I'll read and absorb the stories readily, but give me some kind of diagnostic manual or something else I'm not all that interested in, I simply can't absorb the information.

It also takes me longer to learn and do new things, I have no suggestions for that as it's one of my main issues. That being said, once I learn how to do something new, I can become as proficient as most people at whatever it is I'm trying to do, it just take a lot longer.

 

[Fact Ten]

1. I usually need instructions written down for me or be given the chance to write them down myself. This can either be due to there being too many steps to remember or because I get incredibly anxious to the point of second guessing what was said.

2. I've been having issues with books and texts related to my major. I have no idea what I'm reading sometimes because it's written (or translated) in a way I'm not used to or with words being used in a way I don't necessarily understand. Also, if I read too quickly, I don't uptake very well and I realize, "I've read 15 pages but I feel like I didn't read at all!"

3. I'm pretty slow as well. I am so intent on doing things right that I can't do things fast. I've never been able to strike a balance between speed and accuracy. Also, on some finer actions, I take forever because I've never been great with motor skills that require precision. For example, an acquaintance told me how to remove sprigs of thyme from the stem in a quick way and I kept failing so I ended up removing each sprig individually. Also, almost any kitchen task that requires chopping, cutting, or peeling will take me way too long.

As far as whether this is due to autism or something else, I don't think I could answer that for you without making uninformed guesswork. There's too many factors that could be at play.

 

[Sarah S]

Hi everyone.

I'm a 26 year old autistic guy. Knew it since I was about 20. There's a couple of issues I have that I have some questions about. They've caused me quite some trouble up to this point. I always assumed I have these problems because I'm autistic. After all, I'm the only person I know who's autistic and I'm the only person who seems to have these problems, at least at this severity.

The first thing is following instructions. I'll give you an example. The other day, I made reservations for a room in a hostel. The day before I called the hostess to ask how I can enter the building once I arrived. She gave the instructions in a clear and understandable manner: there's this key, there's this key box, there's this locker, there's some door, there's another door... and I just couldn't follow it! The problem wasn't that her way of explaining it wasn't clear, I could tell that! I just somehow couldn't remember it all at the same time and in a logical order. I couldn't even write it down as she was explaining it.

And that issue I've experienced regularly throughout my life. Understandably, this can lead to major problems in a working environment. I wanted to be a medical doctor once, so I studied medicine, but had no choice but to quit after 5 years when my internships began - mostly because of the problem I described above.

Furthermore, I'm strangely bad at reading. I just take a long time to process written text and if I force myself to read stuff at a quicker pace, I tend to skip over certain details, which leads to me making mistakes. Also very troublesome in a professional environment.

Finally, I'm just generally really, really slow. Whenever I'm new at a certain activity, let's say in a work place type setting, I'm just so, sooooo much slower than anyone else. I'm talking easily 3x as slow as a regular person. That's a problem I have time and time again. Depending on the type activity or work, I can eventually speed this up to a passable level, but not always.

So yeah, 3 problems that typify me as an individual. Is there anyone else who has these problems? Is it because I'm autistic, or is this 'just my personality'?

I have the same problems short time memory like a gold fish need written directions or im lost

Sounds to me you might have Dyslexia I have it too

Again same here i have a longer time learning new things but when i learnt them im usely up to speed (provided its something im interested in )

Pretty much all of this 3 " problems " youre desribing is well known co morbid diagnosis too ASD(and the last actually for ADHD & its comorbid diagnosis)

Bad short time time memory
Learning disabilities (ie in youre case possible Dyslexia )
& last need longer time to learn new things as i said both ASD & ADHD ​

 

[the_tortoise]

I have similar issues, in my case attributed to executive dysfunction which is attributed to either Autism or ADHD.

 

[Streetwise]

Autism is described as a developmental disorder ,one part of our brain doesn't develop the same as a neuro typical it appears to be in the area of communication there is a slight difference between the sexes ,women communicate more by speech men by my action your problem makes perfect sense based on what you've described the best thing to do is to tell people you are autistic I do that and tell them it takes me a long time to learn anything , because if I don't I am expected to be like neuro typical

 

[Pats]

Instructions I usually ignore and figure out for myself how to do things. I can't follow patterns and stuff like that. When I was in nursing school I had a really hard time. I can't just read something and 'get it'. I have to work on it until I figure it out on my own. Like reading EKG's - I couldn't get it by just reading if this spike is wider than this many blocks, it means this. I had to figure out what the heart is doing to create these spikes or lines and then could just know if it was not normal or how dangerous the rhythm might be. Of course, then I'd have to work on remembering the name of those rhythms. lol But especially if something does not interest me, I can read it a hundred times and still not get it.

And what is it about having to write things down? I always have - as someone is giving me instructions, I'm writing them down, sometimes having to tell them to stop and go back to here because that's as far as I've gotten and have already forgotten what was said after that point.

That brought back a memory. I used to write the words of songs I liked. Using a record player - lol. I could only get like 2-3 words at a time before having to pick up the needle - and you can never set it back down in the same place. Even if I know the words, still have to go through the process of hearing each word, remembering only so many at a time to write them down, then go back and get the next few.

 

[Pats]

I sometimes have a problem with directions, I write a lot of things down so I can follow instructions. Maybe if that isn't working for you, you could record the instructions? Also maybe pictorial cards could help. I used them for my son and it seems to help him understand what's going on better and also to understand the daily schedules he follows.

I don't have problems with reading things, but that can depend on what I'm reading. Give me a Stephen King novel and I'll read and absorb the stories readily, but give me some kind of diagnostic manual or something else I'm not all that interested in, I simply can't absorb the information.

It also takes me longer to learn and do new things, I have no suggestions for that as it's one of my main issues. That being said, once I learn how to do something new, I can become as proficient as most people at whatever it is I'm trying to do, it just take a lot longer.

Oh yeah, I was going to add (but forgot lol) that I do better if there's pictures to illustrate.

 

[Wolfnox]

Same problems for me.

 

[Loren]

I experience all of the same. My difficulties due to both, 'visual processing delay' and 'auditory-language processing disfunction/disorder'. Not sure if ASD related, but perhaps, so.

 

[GadAbout]

I can't count the number of times when I was in a seminar or lecture and the speaker said "You don't need to take notes, this is all in the handouts." Sorry, but I *DO* need to take notes - it's how I process, especially things in the auditory channel. And although not for me, I've known a number of people who, with the speaker's consent, audio-tape everything for later review.

So, yes, many people have these kinds of issues.