Visual Processing

[Negeen]

So today I totally got in trouble at work and subsequently, will not be on the schedule as much... This is the second time in a row when I've copied my scheduled down wrong and failed to show up at work during my scheduled shift. They have the schedule written on a piece of paper and I swear I look at the stupid paper twice over to make sure I've jotted down everything correctly, but it's like what my brain sees on paper is not the same as what is actually on the paper... does that make any sense to anyone?? so then I end up not showing up to work on the right days and times... I feel like such a failure..

[Kirk5w7]

No Negeen, I have problems with times and dates too, I rang the dentist twice to check on an appointment because although I wrote down what I was told I was still unsure whether it was correct. I would need a schedule to be written by someone else or I would always be unsure I'd done it correctly.

The appointment I got mixed up with was 11.45 and I remember thinking that's a quarter to then I remembered the 11 and thought quarter to 11 but that was wrong it was quarter to 12, and I still get it wrong, I make others write down important dates and times then as soon as I am able I copy it into my diary AND put it on the calendar, that way I have it written down 3 times and I still check more than once.

I practice number puzzles like Sudoku with tippex at my side for the mistakes I make, it's getting better but not like it was.

Janet xx

[RogerCMerriman]

My short term memory is and has always been woeful, but I use technology.

for rota, I use ical app which gets shared, to both mine and my wife's iphones/ipads/laptops etc.

I'm used to the fact that I just don't remeber so make sure that the rota in the calander, and try to make sure I don't get distacted. ie I have to be very focused.

[Negeen]

it's weird, it's not like I forget the day and time, I just seem to somehow "see" it incorrectly on the schedule.

[RogerCMerriman in reply to Negeen]

Your reading with your brain, I have to double/triple check and still make the odd mistake.

[Danslatete]

I used to do that, no I still do that but not as much.

It was worse if I was getting information by phone and I was sure I'd written everything down correctly but no!

Can't they photo copy the schedule for you and get mum or someone to put it on your phone so it beeped at you allowing travel time

I was in work yesterday and I got the day wrong, I thought it was Monday so was in the wrong class till someone told me! Luckily I only work between four 4 classes and they're in one end of building.

Keep at it Nageen. Don't let every blip get you down x

[nemo_really]

As with the others, Nageen, it's something that just happens. I'm convinced that I've written things down that I haven't, forgotten to copy things between the multiple calendars I have (I can't connect my work and personal calendars .. company IT security policy) and when an alarm pops up I frequently don't see it, don't believe it's accurate (I've got a bad habit of not noticing the date is wrong when I create an appointment) or get surprised because I was sure I had no Appointments that day!

I'm pretty sure that not seeing the date right is because I'm to focused on getting the basic information down (before I forget it) that I fail to "notice" the rest of the fields.

So you're in good (and bad!) company!

I think that it is very difficult to sort out such issues on your own, and that you might benefit from getting somebody to assist you in habituating the process of making and keeping to a schedule. Without this external support, it can be difficult to get to the point where the cognitive effort of scheduling is significantly reduced, and is only to easy to habituate getting it wrong without the correction mechanism provided by somebody else's pelting and guidance.

Oh, and find the right tool for you, one that plays to your strengths and mitigates your weaknesses. If a tool is difficult to use, whatever its overall benefits, it won't get used or will hinder correct usage. For example, I'm typing this on my phone's soft slide keyboard, which is cognitively challenging (no tactile feedback as with a proper keyboard) and I often misspell words because Iattend to the keys to the extent that I fail to notice the incorrect choice that the auto correct function has made. At the end of it, as now, I'm exhausted. I often don't write or rapid when I'd like to because I feel drained at just the thought of typing or because the process of typing gets in the way of thinking (if you can call what passes through my brain "thinking" )

I'm seriously tempted to get a phone with a physical keyboard but then I lose that all important screen space!

Take care.

[Hidden]

I am totally useless with dates and times - I often go to an appointment on the wrong day or time

I used to diary events but then i forgot to look in the diary

seriously why not put your schedule on a wall calendar and put the calendar somewhere where you will see it every day

[Hidden]

My husband has exactly the same problem, not helped by the fact he is dyslexic in addition to his brain injury. can someone at work write your schedule down for you, photocopy the schedule, or can you photograph it with your phone? I'm a great one for practical solutions & work should make "reasonable adjustments" for you so asking them to write your schedule down for you should not be an unreasonable request. Good luck.

[Sem2011]

Don't feel a Failure Negeen. it has taken me 4 attempts to spell your name correctly . I too get appointments wrong, time wrong, and dates. I check and double check, and translating to my diary or calendar , still errors occur. Perhaps as somebody else suggested phottocopy your schedule, or ask somebody to double check it. I do this if my partner is around. hope work understand and try not to be too hard on yourself xxx

[Negeen]

What great ideas! You guys are brilliant. Taking a picture of the schedule with my phone is an excellent compensation method I never thought of!

[iforget in reply to Negeen]

Taking a picture of the schedule with your phone isn't going to help if as you say you see something different to what is actually on the schedule because you are just going to be looking at the schedule on your phone and seeing something different...

putting alerts into your phone might solve the issue though and if you are unsure you have 'seen' correctly enlist the help of someone to double check...eventually it will become second nature to do this and life will run more smoothly and therefore it will be one less thing to stress about...

Busy professionals who do not have BI use scheduling alerts too so its nothing unusual... and it works.

[Negeen]

I think the problems happens when it comes to the transferring of information. Somehow that requires some type of divided attention that I don't have.

[B_S_A]

Take a picture of your rota! Seems pretty crazy that they wouldn't give you a printed copy of it.

[gr33nmind]

Negeen, if your divided attention is affected, then I agree, take a picture of the schedule wt your phone. Mark on your calendar, in capital letters, a photo of the schedule is in my phone, and set an alarm for after work to enter it. Then wait until you are completely alone, wt no distractions, to look over the schedule, and enter your schedule in your camera phone. If your not alone when the alarm goes off, say that you have to do something important, excuse yourself, and enter the info into your camera's calendar. Most problems related to our TBI, can be worked around. My divided attention is also pretty bad, so trust me on that

[mike2000]

yes, i take a picture regularly on my mobile phone of my work schedule's for the week