Filed under: Strategies

Forget Where You Parked? Try This ND-Friendly Photo Hack

first published:

Navigating back to your car can be difficult for those with ADHD, prosopagnosia, or other challenges. Here’s a simple, photo-based strategy that can help.

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prosopagnosia tips and strategies using photos
Image description: Six-photo grid showing my way back to my car at the hospital where Rachael had surgery. Images include the street, building, elevator, and Jeep, with arrows and pointers.

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Before smartphones, a neuropsychologist prescribed me a GPS device that changed my life. Now, my photo strategy helps me navigate when I lose track of my parked car—something that can help anyone who’s sight-privileged and loses track of where they have parked their car.

Because I can’t navigate (due to prosopagnosia), I start at the car, taking photos of it and the surroundings. As I walk, I take pics at each turn or entrance, sometimes pointing to where I came from. Later, I use the photos to retrace my path in reverse. If I still get lost, I can show them to a kind somebody. This simple strategy has been effective for me for as long as there have been smartphones.

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by Erika Sanborne

Autistic, award-winning educator, researcher and founder of Autistic PhD | Meet the author.