Going to take me 2 years to pass driving test?!

[charlottexox]

Sorry if I've put this into the wrong category, but I had no idea where to write this!
Basically, last year I was doing some driving lessons with a lovely lady in an automatic car and I have mild cerybal palsy.
It is so mild by looking at me you wouldn't know I have it. The things it effects most is my co-ordination, balance and my ability to retain a lot of important information.

I tried driving in a manual car, but with my CP I really struggled, so switched to an automatic was a lot better.
After my 10th lesson with her she said she always reviews her learners after their 10th lesson. When she reviewed me she stated that it would take me 2 years or more to pass / learn I'm so embarrassed. She did take my CP into consideration as she works with mostly people that have learning disabilities.
She did also state I'm not a natural which was upsetting, because during those 10 lessons I tried my hardest.
I had to stop learning just before Christmas because I couldn't afford it while I was moving house and bringing up a 1 year old. But now it's putting me off ever learning again.
Has anyone got any advice? Or if it took you that longer or longer to learn.

It took me 18 months and 3 practical tests before I got my license - no disabilities or issues I use struggled.

My brother with dyspraxia took 12 months and passed first time.

I’d find another instructor that fills you with confidence tbh.

Also, two years is nothing depending on frequency - if your only having an hour a week then it’s 104 hours - to learn to safely operate something capable of travelling 80mph plus (not on the roads obviously) if you say it like that then the hundre hour investment seems like a logical and reasonable amount of time to spend mastering something doesn’t it?

OP I wouldn't take this to heart. 20 years ago I was told by my instructor I needed more lessons and it took me over a year. I don't have a disability but find academic tests much easier than anything physical or practical. I scraped through my test with a lot of minor faults but couldn't have passed without the number of lessons I had.

I recently took an additional practical driving test and my instructor was crying she was laughing so much at my general ineptitude at anything that wasn't the basic driving. We agreed it suits some folks more than others and again I just scraped through. I drive 1000s of miles a year and have no issues I'm just not very practical. Keep doing your best and you'll pass. You'll be a brilliant driver

I think you should try and see a new instructor. However I do want to say. If you give up, you won’t be driving even in 2 years. Different instructors all say different things.

I know it’s a bit of a strange one, but I couldn’t get the hang of driving an auto. I just couldn’t. I believed it was all I could do. I couldn’t get it though. I had a lesson with an instructor who told me 45 hours lessons I needed. I thought fuck that. I’m not doing 45 lessons- I’d had a fair amount.
I left it a while then I had an instructor who believed in me. I passed very quickly

Do you have a car you can practice is outside of lessons? If you’re only driving for 1 hour a week then I’m not surprised it’s taking you a while, it would take anyone a while even without a disability! Remember your instructor has a vested financial interest in getting you to buy as many lessons as possible so I wouldn’t take her comments too seriously, stick with it, find someone else that inspires confidence and save up so you can do more lessons a week

Have a look at this site op hope it helps
www.cerebralpalsy.org/information/vehicle-modification/vehicle-modifications

OP have you considered an intensive course? I did auto only in four days five hours a day test on Friday. I don't have your health issues and did intensive because I was at uni in one part of the country and lived in another so not in one place long enough to do normal lessons without big gaps. I did auto to reduce the things to focus on in a short space of time, I learned in London and my instructor was an ex black cab driver, he was brilliant. For you the intensive wouldn't need to have a test booked at the end of the week but might give you some real confidence and experience, because my lessons were so long we drove all over the place instead of the same local areas each week, which meant I learned to drive rather than became comfortable on certain routes. It meant I never felt worried driving to new places, using motorways etc when I passed (once you've been a learner in and around London anything else feels relaxed). Finding the right instructor is crucial, is had 4/5 lessons at 17 with an instructor who made me call my rear view mirror my third eye , and made me drive to different newsagents in the local area to find a hard to get teddy bear collectors magazine for his 23 year old daughter. That was never going to work for me.

I started & stopped learning several times, never found an instructor who I felt confident with. I got to 31 & still couldn't drive, someone I worked with recommended their instructor to me so I booked some lessons with him at lunchtime from where I worked in the city centre, I started learning much quicker because I had to drive in traffic straight away, no driving on back roads. After I'd been learning about 9 months I bought a cheap second hand car & my dad took me out every weekend without fail to practice, in all weathers, in the dark & for more than an hour. Sometimes we would go for a full morning or afternoon & cover 50 to 60 miles, when I booked my test I took it in my own car, my instructor took me for my first one, I failed, but he said I didn't need more lessons, just more practice, my dad continued taking me out whenever he could, exactly 6 months after my first test I passed, I drove to work the day after & I've been driving ever since. It just takes time & gaining confidence, it doesn't matter how long it takes, the more driving experience you get the better.

Hi everyone,
Just want to thank you all for your lovely replies. I don't feel so bad about myself now! My dad keeps pushing me and says "it's silly you'd take that long" and then expects my DP to pass before Christmas so we could collect him for Christmas Day! But he pressures both of us to pass sooner rather than later which of course also puts me off.
Think I'm going to look into changing instructors too.

Do look at changing instructors, this woman sounds dreadful, knocking your confidence. If she things so low of you, you are going to internalise that yourself, it is a self fulfilling profacy. Silly woman. Keep trying different ones out, to see who you feel happy with.