Getting Lost When You Are Neurodivergent: Why It Happens and What Helps
- Kirsty Heap
For a long time, I believed my navigation skills were actually quite good.
As a neurodivergent adult, I trusted myself when walking. I could usually find my way back and orient myself once I had a sense of a place. What I have learnt over time, though, is that navigation and directions are very different things. For me, finding locations, following directions, and arriving somewhere new can feel incredibly hard.
When things go wrong, the anxiety that follows can be intense.
This is a story about getting lost, why navigation can be difficult for neurodivergent adults, and what helps when anxiety and self-doubt take over.
Why navigation can be harder when you are neurodivergent
Navigation difficulties are common for neurodivergent people, particularly those with ADHD, dyslexia, autism, or a combination.
Challenges often include difficulty processing directions, limited spatial awareness, working memory overload, time blindness, and sensory overload in unfamiliar environments. When stress rises, cognitive load increases, and navigation becomes even harder.
For many neurodivergent adults, navigation relies heavily on visual processing. When visual cues are missing or unclear, the brain has to work much harder, which can quickly lead to overwhelm and anxiety.
When getting lost triggers anxiety and self-doubt
Recently, I experienced this first-hand.
I arrived early for a meeting in a new location, something I do intentionally to support myself. The place was meant to be two minutes from the car park.
There were no photos of the building online and no clear signage. Google Maps told me I was standing right on top of the location, yet I could not see it. I walked straight past it without realising.
I then switched to Apple Maps, which confidently sent me to a completely different spot, over half a mile away. At the time, I did not know that Apple Maps actually had the incorrect address location pinned, which added another layer of confusion.
By now, I was late. Even though the meeting itself was informal, my body reacted as if something serious was wrong. My heart rate rose and the negative chatter in my head became louder.
Pausing, regulating, and finding a way forward
Eventually, I stopped walking and took a couple of deep breaths. I asked myself what the next logical step could be.
I searched for a phone number linked to the location and tried calling it. The call did not go through. Later, I discovered this was because it was an old number that had since been disconnected, rather than the wrong number altogether.
That moment still sent my anxiety soaring.
So I sent an honest email explaining that I was lost and asked if they could call me. They responded quickly and confirmed the postcode.
I had that postcode written down on a post-it note, another strategy I use so I am not relying solely on my phone. With the correct postcode entered, I walked back to where I had originally been.
The hidden emotional cost of navigation difficulties
Even then, I struggled to see the building. The adrenaline was high, and I seriously considered giving up and going home.
This is the part people often do not see. Getting lost is not just about directions. It can trigger shame, self-criticism, fear of being judged, and questioning your competence.
I found myself wondering whether I was even a good coach if I could not find the location.
What this experience taught me
When I finally slowed everything down and worked through the address logically, matching building numbers rather than relying on apps alone, I spotted the name on the window. I had walked past it multiple times.
By the time I arrived, I was forty-five minutes late and felt awful.
What became clear afterwards was that my visual strengths are key. Without clear visual cues, my anxiety rises fast. A simple photo of the outside of the building would have made a huge difference. That was not a failure on my part. It was a missing adjustment.
I also realised that by sharing what had happened, I had helped them. They were not aware that Apple Maps was sending people to the wrong location or that an old telephone number was still appearing online. By flagging this, they were able to update their details and reduce the likelihood of this happening to someone else.
Something difficult became useful.
Supportive strategies that genuinely help
If navigation difficulties resonate with you, gentle strategies that can help include allowing extra time where possible, asking for photos of locations in advance, writing addresses down as well as storing them digitally, using landmarks rather than written directions, pausing to regulate anxiety, and naming your needs without apology.
These strategies are not about fixing yourself. They are about reducing cognitive load and supporting your nervous system.
A kinder reframe for neurodivergent navigation
Getting lost does not mean you are incapable, careless, or unprofessional.
It often means your brain processes information differently and needs different inputs to feel safe and grounded.
Sometimes the most supportive question is not “What is wrong with me?” but “What would help me navigate this more easily?”
And sometimes, a picture really is worth more than a thousand directions.