I can't learn to tie my shoelaces?

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This is really embarrassing, I'm 17 years old and I can't seem to learn how to tie my shoes, just every time my mom tries to teach me I get it immediately and I think: "Oh wow, how could I not learn this?" But when I actually try it myself, I suddenly forget all the movements and just end up being lost. The same goes with reading the clock. I can read digital clocks, no problem and I can read when it's 11 in the afternoon but I can't read the minutes, I'm unable to look at the clock and be like, "Oh, it's 11:04."

I am pretty bad at math, I am a creative person, an artist and I like to write. But I just can't seem to tie my shoelaces or read the clock, and I've read that some people with Aspergers and autism have the same issues. Have you had these issues and did you eventually learn to tie your shoes/read the clock? If so, how did you manage to do it? Thanks!

It took me longer to learn to tie my shoes,I tie them backwards.But it works.My folks just kept working with me.The only way to learn is to keep trying,no matter how boring and frustrating it is.

Practice, practice, practice...retrain your brain.

A learning disability is not a learning impossibility. You have to want it enough to keep trying until it becomes burned into your subconscious by repetition. Your body can learn things on an organic level, even if your intellect refuses to participate in the process. Eventually you'll be able to tie your shoes in the dark, because your fingers will know the movements, even when your eyes can't see what they're doing.

In the case of clock-reading, look for a watch that has both the hour designations and the minute numbers on the same face. Wear that for a year and see if you don't pick it up after a while. Or take a compass, draw a bunch of blank circles and fill in the numbers yourself (looking at a clock for reference), until you have the digits and their positions all memorized.

It helps to start, by remembering that each quarter of the circle, during an hour, represents 15 minutes: 15 (quarter past)...30 (half past)...45 (three quarters/quarter 'til)...60.

Within each 15 minute block, are three groups of 5 minutes each. After that, it's pretty simple, you just count by ones.

I learned to tell time on a standard clock face, but when I got my first job in radio, I had to keep logs in Military time and it confused the hell out of me at first.

You'll get it - just be persistent.

I you "Think in Pictures" good old youtube might help
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhXXYuCpVwc[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FniJ7fp_0U[/youtube]

Hope these help. If not there are other youtube videos on these subjects

I never tie my laces, I always stick them down the sides of my shoe. It makes getting away quicker.

I did not know how to tie my shoes until I was 8 years old. Right after my grandfather died, I suddenly knew how. No practice needed. Strange.

My suggestion would be just to learn a small part of the sequence at a time and have your mother do the rest, and then, when you've got that part securely in your memory, add another part. So, for example, you might start with just making the last loop of the bow.

I tie my shoes by crossing one lace over the other, and then putting one under the other. Then I make two loops and put one under the other. My mom tried teaching me to do it another way, but I decided to do it a different way because it was easier to remember.

I learned to tie my shoes in kindergarten, but I've started to FORGET it somehow, even though I mostly tie my shoes daily.
As for reading a clock, I can read it, but I can't read it quickly. I don't understand how teachers just look at it really fast and already know the time. I see them do it all the time. I have to literally focus myself completely on it. I feel like I am doing intense math when I read them.

Something that I've always had trouble with is buttoning things. It's not because the buttons are too small. It's not because I can't see the hole. I just have trouble putting the button itself through the hole. It takes me a very long time to button things. My mom had to button up my sweaters for me until I was maybe 11. The only reason she doesn't now is because I don't wear button up sweaters as much, and if I do, I just don't have the buttoned.

As far as buttoning pants, I spend maybe an entire 10-30 seconds buttoning that one button. That seems to be something that I should be able to do in two seconds.

I also still haven't managed to learn how to open the gates in my neighborhood. I find it more convenient to climb and jump over fences. Somebody always has to be with me to open a gate.

I never learned how to tie shoe laces very well, I can do one hoop or whatever you call and that is about it, the bunny ears way. I prefer crocs and shoes that don't have laces.

In my case, it was actually fine motor problems rather than the cognitive process of "this one under that one". The same with hand writing.

I got it though.

I had the same issues with shoe laces and still have issues with reading clocks that are not digital clocks.
I learned to tie my shoe laces only when I was around 15... last year therefore.
I still need some time to read clock lancets. When my classmates ask me what time is it, I either tell them the wrong time and need some time to correct myself, or I can't tell it at all and my friend has to do it for me.

I learned to tie my shoelaces the bunny ears way at the age of 11, which was late compared to my siblings and peers but not that late considering the fact I have dyspraxia and a lot of people with dyspraxic issues never learn how to tie laces. With clocks, I couldn't tell the time reliably until the age of 13. I never wear a watch, preferring to rely on my phone for the time. When I have worn a watch in the past, it's always been digital ones.

I don't know if this will help, or if you've already heard it, but there is an alternate way of tying shoe laces. Tie the first knot as usual. Then make a loop in both the laces, and tie them in a knot the same as the first knot. It comes out the same but the movements are less complicated.

I have a 12 year old daughter who can't read an analogue clock. If fact, if you say “10 to 12” she can't understand it. You have to say 11:50. Oh, and it has to be exact to the minute.

I can't either. Yes, it's embarrassing. And frustrating. I am very good at telling time thought.

I have the same problem, i just try to be patient when i tie my laces, sometimes i wear boots. I do like brogues though.