Customer Reviews

Dyslexia My Life

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As many as 15% of Americans may be dyslexic, yet this learning disability continues isolate and frustrate those who struggle with it. Consequently, Girard Sagmiller shares his personal experiences in DYSLEXIA MY LIFE in an effort to overcome the ignorance and prejudice of friends, family and society. Sagmiller shares not only his history, but also his creative coping skills that allowed him to go on to succeed in life, including earning an MBA in business.

Sagmiller was diagnosed as mentally retarded in elementary school. He describes in heart rendering terms the night a parent-teacher conference changed the lives of his family forever. Although his teaches recommended institutionalization, Sagmiller's mother refused to comply. His mother's tears and his father's rejections still haunt his memory. Later a more accurate diagnoses was made of dyslexia, which affects speech, reading, time perception, and can slow learning ins some subjects.

As a dyslexic myself, I found Sagmiller's account fascinating and I confess to learning a lot about myself while reading his narrative. I had never understood the two types of dyslexia, and how to discern between them. In addition, I couldn't help but chuckle in sympathy while reading his difficulty with standardized tests. I could easily empathize with the blows to the self-esteem as well as the feelings of stupidity and ineptitude. Moreover, with a Master's degree in English, I am also encouraged to find someone else who did reach his dreams despite the challenges meted out by this learning disability. A must read for those with dyslexia as well as parents, educators and others touched by this learning disability. DYSLEXIA MY LIFE comes very highly recommended.

Being a parent of a child with dyslexia I found this book a great insight into the difficulties of this disorder. Mr Saqmiller explained well how he dealt with his disabilites from childhood to adulthood. I learned alot from focusing in on strengths instead of weakness to being an advocate for my child. I thank him for a wonderful read.

This book brought tears to my eyes. I was saddened regarding the unhappy early life that Mr. Sagmiller went through, yet I was very happy for his success in his later life.

I have an adult son who is dylexic, and the ongoing pain he has gone thru, and continues to go throuh, has constantly torn at my heart. I have kept in touch with Mr Sagmiller and he has been very helpful and supportive. He seems to be a gem of a human being and I have been very fortunate to have communicated with him. I hope my son, and I, can meet with Mr. Sagmiller some day.

If you know of someone who is dear to your heart who has been thru the pain and the anguish of dyslexia, you might want to consider either giving them this book or getting the tapes of this book for them. The tapes can be purchased on Mr. Sagmiller's website. I highly recommend this book.

This is the story of a guy with an invisable reading handicap and the struggle he experienced in learning to read and get educated. Along the way he tells about the teachers who helped him and inspired him to find himself as well as thoughs who failed to understand the problems of dyslexics.He tells of the success he experienced in drama and staging shows and plays. It was a very inspired story about a person who made it despite the odds being stacked against him. A book to inspire.

I really didn't know much about dyslexia prior to reading this book. As a parent I worried that some of my children had it when they began writing in school and started transposing letters or writing them backwards... I basically thought it was a common learning disability that was easily diagnosed and easy to overcome. This book really showed me how complex this learning disability is and home many different areas of life, throughout childhood and onto adulthood dyslexia can affect... it is not only a learning disability, but also an intricate way of thinking. Mr. Sagmiller gave a very open, and honest account of what his life had been like growing up with a disability and shows that with persistence and perseverance, any obstacle can be overcome. More importantly, as a parent, he showed how vital it is to love and support our children no matter what package they come in, and no matter what gifts they bring to our lives. It is a very inspiring story... a very good read!

I really appreciated Girard's book on the 2-D form of Dyslexia which is when people cannot articulate the correct word. His example was to say he wanted "tornadoes" for dinner instead of "tomatoes." In class, when looking for a job, the wrong words would come out. As a teacher, without knowing this information, I may have reacted differently than I would now. I have not heard of this type of Dsylexia, so it was very informative. There were some suggestions on how to help people with 2-D Dyslexia, and he does have a web site for questions which is great. I now need to read a book about 3-D Dyslexia regarding the confusing the differentiation of letters and words. There is much to learn and practice when helping others.

Here is a list of Other items by Mr. Sagmiller
Dyslexia My Life, Audiobook
DVD Speaking On Dyslexia
Speaking On Dyslexia

This was a good book written by a man that experienced life having dyslexia. Really gives you insight into his childhood

Dyslexia My Life provides a window into the life of a person with dyslexia. I highly recommend this book for any parent of a dyslexic child. Since my son has not been able to verbalize his struggles, I have gained a much better understanding of his world by reading Girard Sagmiller's book. Dyslexia My Life should also be on the required reading list for any college student who plans to become a teacher.

Dyslexia: My Life
One Man's Story of his Life with a Learning Disability
An Autobiography
By Girard J. Sagmiller
As reviewed by Ellen Tanner Marsh, a New York Times best-selling author
What does it mean to grow up with a disability that no one seems to understand? For
author Girard Sagmiller, it meant grappling with shame and fear and his father's stony
disapproval. Girard Sagmiller has dyslexia, a neurological learning disability where
individuals experience problems recognizing words (the letters are often transposed) so
that reading is difficult, if not impossible. More often than not, dyslexics are erroneously
considered slow or stupid.
With honesty and grace, Sagmiller tells the story of his own battle with dyslexia and the
many challenges he had to overcome. Growing up in the 1960s, he faced uncaring
teachers and worried, angry parents who didn't know any better in dealing with an
affliction that we now know affects one in five children. But Sagmiller never gave up,
persevering against considerable odds to attend college, get a job and find his niche.
This extraordinary memoir tells his courageous story and also provides helpful tips for
managing dyslexia and ultimately succeeding in life. Overcoming a disability doesn't
mean curing it, but as Sagmiller writes, "other strengths will grow."
This is an important book for anyone struggling with dyslexia, for teachers of dyslexic
students and for families with a dyslexic loved one. The message here is clear: even
dyslexics can flourish in school and in everyday life and succeed in careers of choice.
Girard Sagmiller not only overcame his disability, he triumphed. And here, in this wise
and inspiring book, he shows an insightful path for others to triumph as well.