Okay so this got a lot more attention than I was anticipating so if you see this quote tweet, here are some things not to say if someone tells you they can't tell their left from their right and some general info about my experience. 1/ https://twitter.com/caralynneh/status/1301699481109319680

Please don't suggest the "left hand makes an L trick". Just about everyone over age 7 has heard of it and if it works for someone they are probably already using it. This trick does not work for my brain as I can't tell backwards letters from forwards letters
2/

Don't tell a young person that they will grow out of it. While many kids will learn their left and right, not everyone who struggles with it will. Instead help them find a coping mechanism that works for them.
3/

I wasn't diagnosed with developmental disabilities until I was 13, so I grew up thinking that I would and should grow out of basic characteristics of my brain. I did learn to consistently write numbers forwards but knowing my left from my right wasn't going to happen.
4/

If someone says they can't tell their left from their right, please believe them. Not knowing lefts and rights can be frustrating and disabling enough without people not being willing to point when giving directions
5/

And don't make fun of someone for not knowing the difference! Right and left difficulties are common enough that they may be seen as a weird or fun personality trait and not a disabling thing. I ended up with some pretty creative and limiting coping mechanisms to compensate
6/

In middle school I memorized all of my classmates and would follow people to my next class. If I needed to walk in the hallway in between classes there was a good chance I'd get lost. In high school I would memorize the posters in the hallway for reference
7/

In 6th and 7th grade I wore different color shoes. In 8th grade and part of high school I had right and left written on my converse. I also wore bracelets on my left wrist and would write right and left on my hands. Sometimes I would get it wrong though.
8/

And even though I can't tell my left from my right, I can use a map and compass to navigate. This skill took some time for me to learn but I was able to pass search and rescue navigational training. Last summer I taught 2nd graders how to use a compass.
9/

One of my favorite parts about my tattoo (aside from its direct purpose) is that it reflects how my brain is. It is one way for me to affirm that my disabled brain is okay. My tattoo doesn't fix everything but it does make this world a little easier for me to navigate.
10/10