Steve Weisberg and Nora Newcombe identified three distinct groups in a study of navigational proficiency. They are: “integrators,” who understand landmarks and have a sense of place, and “nonintegrators,” who are good with landmarks. And the “imprecise navigator,” who excels at neither.

But, you say, GPS. Yes, there is that. And in a few more paragraphs, I’ll talk about a new micro-GPS that helps the imprecise navigator (or anyone else) who might get lost in, say, a large resort.

But for now, if you have trouble navigating, consider what Oksana Hagerty, an education and developmental psychologist at Beacon College in Leesburg, Fla., a college for those with learning disabilities, has to say.

“Spatial intelligence, which enables our sense of direction, is probably the most hidden of our intelligences,” she said in an email. “We are not always aware that the successful completion of many everyday activities depends on this particular ability: from ‘reading’ body language to moving furniture to make the room more comfortable to even anatomy exams.

“In modern culture spatial information is, indeed, often ‘masked’ by verbal and numerical information: We have signs, maps (GPS) and itineraries to orient ourselves. If those are not available, we learn to use our own landmarks: It is somehow easier to turn ‘at the red building’ than to turn ‘south’ (provided that nobody changes the exterior of the building, of course).”

At this point in your life, you probably know which category you fall into. If you don’t, consider the last time you went into, say, a mall and came out a different door. Did you know where your car was?

If you have a mental map in your head, great. If you have chosen a landmark and can use that, great again. If you have neither, you need to create your own breadcrumbs.

It’s about finding the strategy that works for you, said Becky Ward, education experience specialist for Tutor Doctor, which provides one-on-one tutoring.

People aren’t “cured” of their lack of direction, which some consider a learning disability, but, Ward said, “A lot of times what happens as a student matures and becomes an adult is that the disability will be less of a disability because they are now putting those strategies into place.

It’s also possible that an inability to navigate may be a lack of training. “Lacking reading skills can be the result of not only dyslexia but also inadequate reading instruction,” Hagerty said. “The latter is easier to fix but only if appropriate instruction is available at an early age.

“The same with spatial ability. Some people lack the sense of direction more than others due to a neurodevelopmental deficiency, but modern society … has almost no tools (or need) to develop it, either spontaneously or by means of formal instruction.”

Parents can help their children by giving them opportunities to play that involve “doing Legos, studying art and geometry or hiking,” she said. Beyond that, they can help their kids by asking them to describe a place they know. That “helps develop memory for images,” she said. Then there’s the GPS game: “When driving to familiar places, ask children to tell you where to go,” she said. That enhances visual acuity and sense of direction.

For the rest of us, there is GPS, which is great when it works, although if you lose a signal, you may be stranded. Maps are an analog backup that works for some.

A tech solution still being rolled out may be your new best friend, whether it’s in a sprawling resort or a mall.

Unlike big-picture GPS, this system will have its tech infrastructure inside the resort building to help phones get data and position the user on a map, said Nadir Ali, chief executive of Inpixon Indoor Intelligence.

Like your big GPS, this indoor mapping system will be able to guide you, using your phone, wherever you need help, once the technology is in place. It also can be used for security; the data are anonymous. “We don’t know who you are or your phone number; we just see signals from sensors” indicating where you are, Ali said.

The technology has applications for any large space — a cruise ship, a convention center, a casino.

An important consideration, Ali said, is that the hotel or property using the technology must focus on the guest experience, not foist itself on the unprepared.

That’s a wave that’s just beginning to crest, but for those who are drowning in disorientation, it may be the ticket to one of the rides we need.