Embracing Dyslexia: The Interviews - Cornell Amerson (part 1)

Cornell Amerson, 49, shares the overwhelming struggles he not only endured in school as a child but also endures as an adult living with dyslexia.
Watch the full documentary, Embracing Dyslexia, at www.embracingdyslexia.com.

[@CornellRX]

I would like to thank you all that took the time to watch my video interview and get it,because that means a lot to me, and I hope my story, do help many others! Thanks again everyone and peace be with you all expressly if you're challenged by "DYSLEXIA!"

[@carlawalker4671]

Hi Cornell, thank you so much for your transparency. We are a family I of Dyslexics, so I get it. I actually took my son out of public school because the education system refused to meet the needs of my son and I get no compensation for it. Taking him out was the best option I had, because it allowed me to protect the core of him. My son is now 14 and is a great athlete, but desires to be a Sports Engineer as well. I'm doing quite a bit of research to aid in getting him there. I'd be happy to share some of what I've learned. There are pathways and it is not at all too late for you. I am hopeful and I hope you'll continue to be just as brave on your personal journey. You are gifted and a huge asset to society. I hear you and feel all of your pain. Best to you.

[@JoyFay]

Thank you so much for sharing. I hope you are well?

[@melissahillerhannah5810]

I spend every day either working with you children who have characteristics of Dyslexia or who are Dyslexic. When I am not with these exceptional children I am with young adults who are training to be teachers. Dyslexics are are some of the most intelligent individuals. I am Dyslexic and never knew. We HAVE to change education for all children but especially for individuals who are Dyslexia. They are highly intelligent individuals.

[@CornellRX]

@ the owner of prtysolutionsnmore; I am so humble and honor at your loving statement and have noting but, love for you! And I thank you so much for your caring and understanding of my dyslexia situation. And you are my "HERO" as well!

[@patricaadams7339]

Hello I just want to say thank you I thought I was alone out here but you told my story but they sent me out to do the bulletin boards in the hallways of the schools so I started disliking drawing and I stop now I can't even do that I know how did inside feels and people looking at you seeing things you wish you could do and they think you can being called lazy when you go to school everywhere you go trying to see what is wrong with me in school I wanted to be a cheerleader debating Photography newspaper but too shy to do those things because I had a big secret knowing that they all knew anyway I forgot you are reading this so it's not because of this or that I just don't like to stay going things long reading it so thank you I know now that I am NOT alone and I would like to get the feeling of this is who and how I am I've lost a lot because of it when I never had a lot to begin with but I still want to keep looking and seeing this makes me want but I will continue to say even though I just started I can do it once I get over the way I am I don't know all of said I don't get to talk much especially someone like me I even told to call Steve Harvey and see if he can find you so that I can meet you

[@williamjohns9322]

wow, thank you for sharing. I take one look at your face and I see a beautiful human being. I am so sorry that you have suffered at all in the educational process. and you concern for not trying to distract others while they are learning...wow. thank you for sharing your story, it really means a lot. I am a slow reader but I have other problems with dyslexia. I think what we have to do is keep sharing with others and they will see that it is not uncommon. if 1 in 5 suffers from dyslexia, there are a lot of us and the educational process should be changed to allow us to succeed as well. peace

[@jonathanbrotto7278]

I feel you brother. A true fighter. Respect from your fellow dyslexic.

[@marinekasparyan8447]

You are a beautiful human being! My son is 7 and is also dyslexic, I’m trying my best to not let him fall through the cracks. Thank you for being an inspiration for us!

[@cynthiathompson9517]

Mr Amerson, Listening to you articulate your feelings and experience made me feel like you were telling my story. Thank you for sharing and I wish you all the best in your journey through life.

[@melissahillerhannah5810]

Cornell Amerson I am so proud of your perseverance and persistence. You are are voice and inspiration for many individuals and children with whom I work with every day. Than you for sharing your story.

[@amersoncornell]

It's has been a while since I visit this video, and it's nice to know that someone still care, so thank you Melissa Hannah for still caring! To bad the City of Detroit lack of resources, opportunities and care for their Dyslexic Adult residents, has presently ruined my life after my job- layoff last year after more then 20 years of service follow by homelessness I will be facing in 2017 because due, to the lack of my educational back ground because of my Dyslexia has blocked all employment opportunities that will pay me a livable wage in Detroit where I now live in real bad poverty and can't get no help from any local Dyslexia Organizations or Foundations. Presently, I just find myself just existing in a dark state of hopelessness and helplessness in knowing there is no real help around me and with that said I am so, sorry my updated story is not inspirational but, I wish it was!

[@prtysolutionsnmore]

Great video, every time I hear your story it brings me to tears. Over the years it never showed, I just remember you always being there, caring, loving, talking, teaching and of course drawing and building, lol! You will always be my hero and inspiration no matter what and my surrogate dad when my father, your brother passed away. Thanks!!

[@purpleplush100]

This is a great interview I have fought for 5 years for my son and I watched as teachers wrote my son off before he'd even reached double digits. I live in England and schooling is free unfortunately for him to be reconised as dyslexic I had pay for test, even though I doubt their interventions will help as I feel the damage is done. I myself found out I was dyslexic around the same time as I trained to be counsellor, like you I was mid thirties. my son saw your drawings as he watched part of the documentary, and heard your struggle in school. He was struck by the beauty of the drawings and said "I want to be an artist", he is 9. You are insprational. I wish you every success.

[@ssnyder248]

You are amazing. Your words painted a picture that I could fully understand. I am sorry that no one was there to help you...thank you for sharing your story and raising awareness for dyslexia.

[@CornellRX]

@ Katherine Gleeson, I would like to thank you for helping me in my journey, by allowing me to have a place on your dyslexia awareness page to vent at time with a voice of dyslexia concerns. So thanks again for all your kindness and understanding to your dyslexia awareness initative you bring to others!

[@hhunter4900]

I am sorry that he had to go through that! The school system did not do anything for him.

[@nancyaponte1547]

Great video you are an amazing person thank you for sharing your story

[@JeremyForest]

First, I want to thank you for taking out the time to do this video, and sharing your personal story of dyslexia. Your story reminds me of myself when I was in elementary school, being a special ed student. Most of the teachers never understood me, because I learned differently than the other regular students. Most teachers had one method of teaching, but didn't have multiple methods in helping a child learn. It is sad what you had to endure as a child and even as an adult. Your words moved mountains, Cornell.

[@aycarumble]

In the 1st week of my first year of school at five yrs old A big gang of older kids from the upper school on the same site pushed me over and kicked me in the head and body without anyone seeing it or coming to stop them. They kept going until they got tired. So I could not focus to see the board any more after that and because my mother left my education to my dad who had not gone to a school, He was less short sighted but did not believe in correcting glasses for men, so I did not get glasses until I was 15. I could not follow any classes so like you I learned how to kept quiet and pretend to be mostly aware of what was being taught. And got put in some remedial arts and crafts classes. My Father and I learned chess when I was 8 from a textbook, it was good because he started to be like an eigth year old brother but went bad after I soon started to win every game for a few weeks and did not think to manage his pride by being a gracious winner so he started bullying me instead, as he was obviously a far larger and more athletic 8 year old than me. He stopped playing chess with me and started punishing me for anything or nothing at all, sending me to bed without food for not holding the knife and fork right at the evening meal.But I learned what getup those stairs or your feet wont touch the sides meant. He was on the streets of a Holiday town from 11 in the war and in the army from 14 years old. When I got bad reports at age 9 and my Father wanted me to pass exams in maths to get into the better school that my older sister went to. He set me to learn the tests in the maths work books that my older sister had learned her first three years, without any tuition locked in my room. This was when my mother and sisters went away on holiday for a week, and would beat me every hour or two for not doing them right (he worked from home). This became like the torture sessions at Guantanamo bay. had similar to your experience with the other boy in the class who could not read and follow the reading that the teacher set but we would keep doing a jigsaw and time how long it took until the teacher split us up into different classes and I learned just to pretend to read and drew pictures.I would try to understand the way that words were made using a young kids encyclopedia with A is for Aardvark and a drawing of the animal, using a torch under covers in bed so my dad would not find out and hit me more. He took me to learn to play Golf with him for his business at11, I was his "Golf Dad" public image lieaison, I learned to pull the sides of my eyes so I could see where the ball had gone, turned out I had a better long game than his by around 15 years old but when I started to win Adult competitions I became unpopular at that members only masonic golf club where I was not in a masonic order, he sold my clubs and I was banned for not being able to pay my £1000 junior membership fees at age 16, and he got beaten up for trying to get with a pretty woman who worked at the club. Home life was better in the early evenings as my now miserable father was usually out struggling to find sales and drowning it with booze at the army barracks til 2 to 3 am then come home for a massive row I got thrown against the wall and lost consciousness at about12 when I tried to get between them because my 9 year old sister was so scared and crying at the top of the stairs the elder was usually drunk and sleeping through it, or out on the razz herself with older guys. I had a student teacher in the 8th grade who accepted my drawings of the earths' crust to pass her class in Geography, an attraction between us made me unusually enthusiastic and I spent a long time doing some beautiful drawings and learning about Geography., England was a really romantic hippy place in 1975, there was a really clever west indian girl who was from a care home I used to chat with for ages and my first girlfriend met me fro the first time around 1976 but I was too shy and young to talk to her. I had started to get really strong from playing a lot of golf and even my usually really emotionally cold mother started to notice me as a man to be and realised when I was 15 that I needed glasses when she spent a bit more time with me and complimented my newly athletic body shape. Started full time work at 18 after a few saturday jobs and an abortive attempt to get an A level and get into a univerisity I was a van driver for a while when a friend helped me mend his deceased dad's mini van then learned to be a computer operator and worked a few contracts. Because of my dyspraxia I had a good eye for spotting issues quickly and guessing right how to fix them (saved Sun life of Canada at Trafalgar Square $20,000,000 in 7 seconds once). After getting some money from working with computers and printers. And then finding a computer trouble shooter job for a US Geophysics company they trained me in programming with geophysics while I ran my own department for liaison work with wealthy Oil Company consultants for all sections of different specialist programming teams who seemed to have insufficient people skills but were geniuses at programming for different Geological strata types and Ocean based surveying methods, LIDAR GPS site survey mapping. all the mainframe processing that others did not have time for or could not do accurately and methodically enough. I was able to resolve and handle things well with my PR skills Ithe lecturer stole my best final design work portfolio so I could not pass. a man who went to a special dyslexia school had taught me, and I had no access to him and no copy of my Portfolio to prove my work to the board. it was an old pattern making apprentice technique that I had recreated from his handed down knowledge. It showed the old pattern making methods, skills that made English engineering the best in the world before WW2. that which showed how to change a 3D drawing into Isometric cutting patterns and hence recreate the 3D object. I was amazed when it worked on my first test piece. And I got into blow moulding plastics and tried a bit of CNC model making. I did a few years as an inservice trainee OT with the NHS as as well but my PTSD would not allow me to continue and I worked a load of other jobs and learned as I went that money is not all that important if you feel secure emotionally which I never have. investigate cPTSD you may have picked it up on the way. There are a lot of very cruel people in the Education who steal from people like you, and I they were paid to imprison your mind and label you stupid, i believe they have real devils in them.

[@MarciaArleneDebra]

My brother learned to read when he was about 12. We knew he was different, but no one thought about learning disabilities then. The only reason why he learned to read is because we followed direct instructions in our third world country. I know that school administration never make a concerted effort to help those who struggle to learn. Why? Because in their mind if it does not come to you easily- forget it. So they never provide intense instructions to those who are struggling. I work as an Education Assistant supporting students with special education needs, and I see how teachers treat the students. I had to explain to a teacher one day, that given the children's learning needs you cannot give them so much variation at one time. He was teaching them areas and perimeters, and presented them with a slew of mixed problems including working with irregular figures after very superficial instructions. They were struggling and began to become frustrated. After working with them guiding them through several questions they gained sufficient understanding to complete the work. The teacher was about to take them outside to play, and as they achieved success in working problems, the outdoor play never happened. they worked to the end and even supported one girl who was really struggling. As I listen to Cornell speak I am sad because I am reliving the pain that I frequently experience in the classroom when children are dismissed because of their disabilities. One thing I keep in mind is what I learned from Dr. Kerry Hempenstal l-even if you have difficulties and you are receiving help, a strong desire will make it happen. Sometime learning is like fighting with an invisible enemy that is exerting force on you, and you must fight back to defeat it. Cornell could still learn to read.

[@drifting1O1]

I have struggled all my life with dyslexia i am 25 .I Corey J Stevens was even a poster child for the no child left behind act.I was invited to the white house as one of three repressiveness to see a speech abut that act because I asked the security of state what was Oregon's plan for the no child left behind act and stumped him. He was not able to answer me, a 5ht grade student with Dyslexia made a fool of the secretary of stare under the bush administration in front of the press. you can achieve anything, yes it will be harder for you I truly understand that. I struggle even now as I write this. Just remember one thing! You can rise above and you will because for everything you have lost you have ben made stronger in other aspects of life never let people tell you what you are capable of you are in control of you own destiny and you do not forget you are not alone there are so manny of us and we all face criticism every day . It is a never ending battle and may ppl do not understand how much harder we have to work for things.

[@michaelhewitt1986]

Your story made me very sad. I can understand how you feel. I didn’t find out until I was 50 and because of that I feel cheated, I never got a chance to achieve my full potential.tears were coming to my eyes when I heard your story.

[@christinabosch5845]

Hi Cornell, I am a graduate student in the special education department at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. I am lecturing in a class for undergraduate students called Introduction to Special Education -- my advisor has taught it in the previous years. He usually shows your video during the class on Specific Learning Disabilities to help students better understand the issues people with dyslexia can face. When I came on to KZbin tonight to watch this video, I saw your recent comments and was very upset by them. Countless people like me and my students are benefitting from your story and it would be decent to in some way pay you back for that. Would you be interested in coming to UMass to do a book talk and share your experiences? We would compensate you. Maybe you can send me a private message on here somehow and we can discuss further. Thanks and best wishes, Christina Bosch

[@robertaryeetey3296]

Hi Brother, you have a great story and great testimony there is a program in USA Called reading horizon and the program is for all levels. Listen you can learn to read. Love you.

[@dyslexin519]

My brother my brother very inspirational my story is similarly to yours keep hope alive

[@katherineGleeson]

As a fellow friend and a dyslexic i have to say you have an amazing personality i love your video,your journey through life "if people don't understand they will now.Thank you x

[@katherineGleeson]

Dyslexia Group. Increase awareness and understanding. facebook.com/groups/bowde/

[@CornellRX]

2021 Update! Presently my life has gotten even worse since the "Embracing Dyslexia documentary film." And trying to embrace dyslexia in my life is no longer the case! Due to the fact that dyslexia in my life has caused my life to be destroyed in ways most can't imagine and that's the sad awful truth!

[@tlashai9902]

I honestly must say your a brave soul, most men at your age during your younger years would join gangs, rob, kill, and do whatever else because school just wasn't for them.

[@eriktarver2087]

8:00-8:15 story of my Life. 😔 I was diagnosed with dyslexia at the age of 34. As a young child I always knew what I wanted to do and that was to become a firefighter. I had taken civil service exams and could never pass them. Once I was diagnosed and knew what I needed to do while taking exams I was able to pass them but with a low score. In 2018 I hit pay dirt and passed the exam with a score of 92. I asked for special accommodations because of my dyslexia. Now it's being held against me. The HR department doesn't feel that I would be able to perform the duties of a firefighter. What they don't know is I've been a volunteer firefighter and EMT for 16 years. I'm hurt more than anyone could imagine 😔

[@babyamuffin3805]

Hi, am listening to you and am crying, as well I know it hurts, I am you .Am going back to school to get my GED. Am saying all this to say ,don't give up everyday you awake it's for a reason, pray and ask the Lord for guidance and have faith hope am making a little sense .Wishing you all the best we are hand chosen by the master .😘😘

[@ShawnSlatteryphoto]

Thank you! I'm 44 and I was diagnosed dyslexic LD and ? in about the 2nd grade and my education was horrible also. Now I wish I could get a little help. I did get my HS diploma, a little late. In Miami Dade, College I was told by my English teacher to give up and Im did.

[@mikecarter5275]

My story is very similar to Cornell. It actually led me to be put in a reform school as I was seen as dysfunctional in school (because I wasn't following on cue with school work). Working life wasn't successful, I just didn't have a talent in organisation and following new procedures. later I was tested dyslexic and more precisely, have a low "working memory". Sequential information is unable to be remembered, so many abilities are hindered because of it . Any good educator should be able to identify a poor working memory, its quite obvious really. Many times I was just accused of not listening or not wanting to pay attention. However, I can say that in my own experience, very ,very few people took a close look at anything that is not about them.

[@Blake472]

How are you Cornell? The last time that I heard from you on youtube, you were struggling with your employer. I hope that you are doing better brother. Keep your head up man.

[@amersoncornell]

Not good, things have gotten worst, I fight alone now!

[@MatthewProudman]

It's not what skills we have it how we use them

[@CornellRX]

If you are interested in the book that Cornell Amerson wrote, which is titled: “THE JANITOR’S SECRET,” now available on Kindle! Please help Cornell elevate his book to “Best Seller” status with your downloads and comments, because that level of success would be most appreciated and so uplifting in his straggle with dyslexia! Cornell, thanks you all in advance!

[@williamjohns9322]

ok Cornell, have you thought about the Art Institute? now I am thinking that this might be the way forward for you. and if they see your portfolio they might take you. have a think. but either way you should think about writing a book because there are a lot of people like us and they need to hear that, like you said, we dont have the problem. are you familiar with Jonathan Mooney? if not check him out. the short bus meme makes fun of how we are maligned. peace brother

[@williamjohns9322]

wait wait wait, have you thought about writing a book? you could use your art skills and write about growing up and how you loved to draw. it would really inspire people.