Can you read maps?

[The Midge]

There is hardly an autistic behaviour that cannot be seen in NTs. As I said, that does not mean it is not an aspie behaviour when performed by aspies.

The reasons why NTs cannot read maps could be completely different.

You could be onto something.

I have to piece together landmarks and features to work out where I am. So there is a church over there, a bridge here, a wood there and I should be at that junction in the path. I have to piece the clues together.

Some of the NT scouts I used to lead who could read a map could look at it intuitively as a whole.

Thank heavens for GPS. They make life so much easier.

Doing analysis of maps and satellite images- that is a whole different pass time. I love doing that.

 

[ZebraAutismo]

I can do it but dyslexia gets in the way.

 

[Keigan]

I love maps and data in tabs/rows/columns.

Even with a smartphone and google maps, I keep paper atlas maps of the states I travel.

 

[Gracey]

Same for me. I really like reading maps.
On being employed as a driver some years ago (pre GPS) I'd pretty much driven around most parts of the UK.
I found my way with paper maps back then.

It seemed easy, the detailed pictures and colours I'd studied before hand I could overlay on to the real-time ground in front of me as I drove along. I'd always presumed it was because I could think in pictures?
Same for hill walking.

And timetables I suppose, if I'm seeing it as a time line and not two faces of a circular clock (24hrs)

 

[Flinty]

I have no problem reading any map or schedule and actually have good senses of direction and time.

My NT mother, one of the most intelligent people I've ever known, however, could not read a schedule to save her life. For this reason, we had to leave a Blue Jay game in the 2nd inning...and a few days later, got us stuck in Tobermory, The Boringest Place On Earth, for several hours.

 

[Chance]

I have maps that are wall art... I have loved maps have since I was really small. I would like to work at a company that produces maps even, or for On Star going out and measuring for GPS relocations and road construction... That would be a cool job to me.

Google earth came out and I just spent hours going places and figuring out how far from one place to the other. I like to get on map quest and just plan trips to see where the maps take me and how long, and how much fuel I would use.

I also like when I am in the airport adding and subtracting the hours a flight takes going through time zones, and seeing how much time is in between certain flights. I actually think it calms me down because I get my mind on that, and other stuff fades out mostly.

I also like comparing my time, to other places in the world, yep I'm weird and it doesn't take much to entertain me or shut me down. : )

 

[isthisreallife]

Street maps I'm fine, anything bigger, forget it. Also, I don't know NESW.

 

[Sherlock77]

I have no problem with maps, also collect them on occasion, recently purchased a 1948 road map of Alberta and B.C., and an old trucking company clipboard with a road map of northern B.C.

Back to the original question, I dislike GPS and prefer a paper road map or road atlas, the paper item gives me far better perspective than GPS, I have capably navigated many back roads on the Canadian prairies with my Back Roads Atlas, the paper copy, that's the one that shows every road including the crappy gravel roads, not just the main highways...

As for schedules... The only thing I struggle with is interpreting the ones that are in 24 hour time... It always takes me awhile to figure out what real time 18:16 is, I do know how it works just rarely use it...

 

[Suzanne]

NO! Which has always been the bain of my husband, since he seems to think that the one in the passenger seat, is the automatic map reader and many an argument has taken place.

I am much better with a gps.

To me, maps are just a lot of squiggly lines and by the time I have found the place, we had passed it long ago!

 

[SusanLR]

NO! Which has always been the bain of my husband, since he seems to think that the one in the passenger seat, is the automatic map reader and many an argument has taken place.

I am much better with a gps.

To me, maps are just a lot of squiggly lines and by the time I have found the place, we had passed it long ago!

Just the opposite. When the man I live with and myself go for a little day trip to a new place, he can't read a map at all.
I plot the course on BING maps ahead of time and look at it on zoom in and birds eye so I can see what the turns and area look like.
He still yells and screams because he can't figure a map out and acts like it's my fault.
Happened earlier tonight.
I just said it's not my fault you just see lines that mean nothing to you. Don't scream at me because I can understand the map.

I don't care for GPS. I can find the shorter, or better route myself. I always said I must have a built in GPS as I always know the direction and very good at NSEW.
If that comes from a tip of the nose, then I must have a tip in my brain as I am even aware of the directions when I dream of travelling.

 

[Bella Pines]

I can't do maps.

I have to keep rotating them so that north is up. Then I have to rotate myself so that I'm facing north. I simply can't travel south unless I go backwards...

 

[Jennacide]

I have to move a map around so its in conjunction with the way im going otherwise im confused.
I always prefered to write down in dot point all the turns and suburbs and streets that are significant amongst my journey.
But now we have GPS wheeeeeeee!

 

[xudo]

Maps have never been a massive problem for me, except that I need to turn so that it's the same way I'm facing IYKWIM? As for bus timetables, I'm not terrible, but I understand the OP's feeling of being overwhelmed by having a load of data thrown at you. I find that since smartphones have taken over, most companies seem to have apps that make reading timetables either easier, or like my local bus company..completely needless. Cardiff Bus have an app for timetables that will just tell you the next 5 buses that are due for any bus stop, so no need to scrutinise a timetable.

 

[Gracey]

Maps have never been a massive problem for me, except that I need to turn so that it's the same way I'm facing IYKWIM? As for bus timetables, I'm not terrible, but I understand the OP's feeling of being overwhelmed by having a load of data thrown at you. I find that since smartphones have taken over, most companies seem to have apps that make reading timetables either easier, or like my local bus company..completely needless. Cardiff Bus have an app for timetables that will just tell you the next 5 buses that are due for any bus stop, so no need to scrutinise a timetable.

Our local bus companies, (just up aways from you) now have an app which will show the exact location of the specific bus number.
If I used it I would be able to see how far away from me the bus is and how much longer I have to wait.

Takes all of the fun out of guessing

 

[NShoreEndo]

I actually love maps. In college, I worked in the nap room of one of the libraries, and got to preserve and file thousands of antiquated maps. Most people would've hated being in the basement, and a large room we are very few people actually answered, but I loved it.

Nowadays, I can't look at a map without being distracted by its detail for way longer than I should.

 

[Judge]

One area where is seems that the stereotypcial aspie excels is in reading maps or taking in information in a tabular fashion.

That would be me. Guilty as charged.

Maps are practically an art form to me. Love them. Always keep a dozen or so in the car, even though now I have GPS and a very cool navigation function onscreen as well. But if I truly want to find something I'll likely rely on the map- not GPS.

Not to mention I minored in geography including a course in cartography.

 

[Chance]

For all of you Aspies who are map challenged... Your future is bright... Just tell your car where you want to go. Set back with a good read, a drink of your choice, and enjoy...

The Volvo Concept26 has it all taken of. The passenger dash even converts into a full workstation with pop up desk top PC... So even on the road at 80 mph, you can stay up with all the latest in Aspie Ville, or write our Mayor Nitro a rambling Aspie rant, that Chance is still stuck in his media time warp and cant get out. : )

Also the new Tesla is already out on the streets in the U.S. It also has driverless Uber technology already installed, but that technology is locked in the U.S. until congress decides to pass the bill allowing that function to be unlocked.

Once that happens... You will be able to get out of your Tesla and send it out to Uber all day while you are at work, or at night while you sleep to pick up wasted college kids and get them home safely. I do recommend covering the seats and floor (this could get gross). Then your liquor/vomit infused Tesla will pick you up to take you to work or back home...

See that is making your investment work for you. My secret is I will still drive my regular car!
No vomit for me please.

Maps... You don't even need maps, and pretty soon not even roads. I think AspieVille is becoming a remake of Back to the Future... Except this is real!

BTW... I'm keeping my maps, I like them... a lot. : )

 

[Chance]

I have no problem with maps, also collect them on occasion, recently purchased a 1948 road map of Alberta and B.C., and an old trucking company clipboard with a road map of northern B.C.

Back to the original question, I dislike GPS and prefer a paper road map or road atlas, the paper item gives me far better perspective than GPS, I have capably navigated many back roads on the Canadian prairies with my Back Roads Atlas, the paper copy, that's the one that shows every road including the crappy gravel roads, not just the main highways...

As for schedules... The only thing I struggle with is interpreting the ones that are in 24 hour time... It always takes me awhile to figure out what real time 18:16 is, I do know how it works just rarely use it...

Sherlock.... 24 hour time hack... Anything from 12 am till 12noon is normal, nothing changes. Anything after 1 PM including 1PM-Midnight changes.

Heres the hack: 13:00-12=1PM, 22:00 hours minus 12 = 10Pm 16:00- 12= 4Pm, super easy...
Your example 18:16-12= 6:16Pm, minutes of course are always the same.

 

[Chance]

All joking aside and still sort of pertains to maps... This is really cool.

 

[Rasendra]

I am the navigator and my husband is the driver. The few times he doesn't believe me we end up turned around while I sit in frustration waiting for him to stop and listen to me lol. I've always done pretty well with maps, though it isn't really a special interest. My family would say I take after my grandfather with my good sense of direction since a good bit of my family has a horrible sense of direction.

He is never wrong but occasionally forgets to tell me when to turn. We have a good laugh over it and correct our course.

This happens to me also sometimes lol. I get distracted with thinking about the world in my head sometimes, especially on longer drives, and forget to tell my husband when to turn.