What is orientation? 

Orientation is the ability that allows awareness of oneself and one’s surroundings at all times.

Types of orientation

There are three types of orientation; here below you can find a brief explanation on each of them:

• Personal orientation: the ability to integrate information relating topersonal history and identity such as our age, civil status, or education level.
• Temporal orientation: the ability to manage information relating to day, time, month, year, the moment of performing certain behaviors, holidays, seasons, etc.
• Spatial orientation: the ability to handle information relating to where one is coming from, where one is at a specific moment, where one is heading, etc.

Why is orientation important?

Orientation is one of the most relevant aspects of daily life. This cognitive function enables us to locate ourselves and others in a specific place, that is, we must be aware of ourselves and our surroundings to determine our proper location in time and space.

We are talking about something as basic as knowing what time of the day it is to be able to perform certain actions such as having breakfast in the morning or going to bed at night.

Activities for improving orientation skills in young and older adults

Next, we recommend different activities for improving orientation developed by NeuronUP:

1. Objects, places, and professionals

In this activity, clients must connect different objects with the places where they can be purchased and the professionals who work in these places.  In this specific spatial orientation worksheet, clients must determine what items can be purchased in a hardware store (if any).

• Household Objects

“Household Objects” is yet another one of NeuronUP’s spatial orientation activities for adults. In these worksheets, clients must identify in which places of the house would the different objects be found.

3. Location in Time

This is one of the exercises for improving temporal orientation in adults that we are presenting today. In each of the worksheets comprising this activity, clients must tell the time, day, month, year and current season. In this worksheet, clients must select which month they’re currently in at the time of doing the exercise.

4. Seasons

Activities to train temporal orientation are also available in paper format. In this paper-and-pencil worksheet, for example, clients must select which season of the year it is accordingto their main features.