practical tasks

Hello all, I`ve recently been thinking about a problem I have that may or may not be related to avpd.
I`m quite bright, but I`ve always struggled with practical tasks, usually when someone else is watching me. A few weeks ago, for example, I was almost defeated by a lock on a supermarket trolley! I became flustered when I realised someone was watching me and my brain just switched off. I`ve had incidents like this since my early teens and as a result I avoid situations in which there`s a risk of making a fool of myself. I`m also not very good at following oral instructions.
I was just wondering if anyone else had experienced this problem.

Yeah I get this a lot too. I have a very hard time following oral instructions and usually need them repeated. It also becomes very hard for me to do just about anything when someone is watching. It becomes the most obvious when doing math type problems. When I'm alone I can work them out and figure out complex problems quickly and very well. When someone is watching me though, I break down and even simple multiplication and division becomes difficult.

That's exactly what I do. Knowing someone's watching (and "judging," so I automatically assume) makes me act like a doofus.

It becomes the most obvious when doing math type problems. When I'm alone I can work them out and figure out complex problems quickly and very well. When someone is watching me though, I break down and even simple multiplication and division becomes difficult.

Oh god, I know what you mean. I can't even type properly on the calculator if someone is watching me.
I hate when people stare, especially when they think you're oblivious to the fact that they're basically gawking at you. At least pretend to be looking at something else when I turn to you!
The worst part is, that I don't want to give up doing something because it'll seem I'm uncomfortable and/or incapable of doing whatever. Sort of feeling anxious about looking anxious and embarrassed. But then I have to keep trying to accomplish the task at a pathetic pace or fail at it publicly.
It's a dilemma, really.

When I note someone is watching me, I sometimes stop doing or 'freeze' whatever I'm doing, until they go away. I guess it's the same as certain animals do, play dead in the hope that the preditor goes away. On other occasions I would turn my head and give the person an icy stare, hoping that it will make them go or look away. I guess that's pretty agressive for the other person and I shouldn't do it, because it makes a fool out of myself. But I just know whatever I'm doing IS going wrong when someones watching.

I can relate to this as well. I cannot even begin to remember how many times I have screwed up something I would never screw up because people were watching.

I do think that this is somewhat common and not totally to do with avpd but certainly it might magnify itself and certainly cause after shocks that others do not feel.

Thanks to everyone who replied to my post. Sorry I haven`t replied to people sooner but I haven`t been able to log on for over a month.