Monday, November 9, 1987/The Battalion/Page 7
A&M students, professor learn
to adjust to living with dyslexia
IDEM;
MAT
WADf!
me!
%
awriv
By Melissa Currie
Reporter
Reading is something Texas A&M
students deal with daily, but to those
with a learning disability called
dyslexia, this task can be quite diffi
cult.
A learning disability is a perma
nent disorder that affects the way in
dividuals take in, retain and express
information. Dyslexia is a type of
learning disability that affects the
way people read.
People with dyslexia may have a
slow reading rate, poor comprehen
sion and retention, difficulty identi
fying important points and themes
and poor mastery of phonics.
Dyslexia is inherited, and in most
cases it comes predominantly from
the father. Because of the male dom
inance of the disease, more men
usually have it than women, said
Charles W. Powell, coordinator of
A&M’s handicapped and veterans
services.
“What people commonly think of
when they hear the term ‘ayslexia’ is
a reversal of words,” Powell said.
“When they think of reading, they
think of reading backward.”
The handicapped services office
uses a variety of treatments on a
trial-and-error basis to see what
works best for dyslexic students,
Powell said.
“There are an awful lot of ques-
uons about dyslexia that are not an
swered,” he said. “A lot of people
still question what causes it and what
it’s a product of.”
Powell says there have been at
least 50 cases reported to A&M
handicapped services. But some of
these cases were auditory problems
rather than dyslexia.
Seven years ago an accident left
Dr. Susan DeBonis, a journalism
professor, in a coma for five days.
When she woke, she had a slight
form of dyslexia. This is rare, be
cause dyslexia is usually hereditary.
“Mine is not so much reversing
words as it is my brain thinking one
word and saying a word that may
sound very much like it, but it’s not
ie off*
ecifid
ite, Gr
ion ai
logy*
stated
teachc
does:
ect sti
ie Aid
r whf
work
dergri
in a?
chited
tive at
ing
comtf;
ather
en nw
3
is cm
mesai
iffiths i
icatior. j
and st ■
Researchers:
Gulfs trash
litters beaches
CORPUS CHRISTI (AP) —
Prevailing Gulf of Mexico cur
rents have helped make Texas
beaches, particularly those on
Padre Island, some of the foulest
along the Gulf coast, two re
searchers said.
“You might say that every
where from Padre Island to Gal
veston Island is somewhat trashy”
because of those currents, said
Tony Amos, an oceanographer
with the University of Texas Ma
rine Science Institute in Port Ar
ansas.
Because of converging cur
rents, general topography and
wind conditions in the Gulf,
Texas beaches are littered with
garbage ranging from ice boxes,
bleach bottles, syringes and plas
tic bags, to large ropes and ripped
netting.
Amos has documented trash
along Texas beaches as coming
from Louisiana, Venezuela, Sau-
dia Arabia, France, Brazil and
Greece, among other countries.
Saturday, Linda Maraniss, re
gional director with the Center
for Environmental Education in
Austin, said, “There are strong
southerly and northerly currents
that push trash towards Texas
beaches.”
SHORT
ON
CASH?
advertise
with
the Battalion
classified ads
■ 845-2611
we won't
sell you
short
Photo by Sarah Cowan
Tiffany Sunday, an A&M speech communications major, shows how confusing the double Ps in her
name can be for a person with dyslexia.
the word I meant to say,” DeBonis
said.
“I don’t reverse numbers that
much, but I may put a seven down
when I meant to put down a two,”
she said. “I will never be able to bal
ance a checkbook.”
DeBonis still is making progress
and trying to look ahead with opti
mism.
“Even now, I look back to where I
was two or three years ago in grad
uate school, and I see im
provement,” DeBonis said. “I am not
sure I will ever be back to my old
form, but it could be worse.”
Tiffany Sunday, a speech commu
nications major from Houston, has
known she is dyslexic since she was
in elementary school.
“People are finally becoming
more aware of it (dyslexia),” Sunday
said. “I have professors that say they
don’t understand it but will cooper
ate and let me take my tests at the
handicapped services.”
Sunday’s exams are sent to a small
room in the handicapped services at
Hart Hall where she takes them in
solitude and is not pressured by
time.
“It takes me a little bit longer, by
the time I go through and make sure
I know all of my words, and then I
also may have to reverse my letters,”
Sunday said. “I might think the an
swer is ‘b’ and put ‘d’ on my scantron
because I get them mixed up.
“I had a professor tell me I would
not amount to anything, and that is
when I came out fighting. I figured
out that I am a minority, and I am
not going to take it anymore.
“I have had teachers tell me to my
face that I am retarded and will not
live. The criticism can be detri
mental — I still have nightmares.”
Officials say Houston gets
too many of state’s prisons
HOUSTON (AP) — Some elected
officials maintain that Houston is
getting more than its share of the
state’s prisons, pre-release centers
and halfway houses.
Houston already has almost half
of the state’s 1,588 beds in halfway
houses for Texas Department of
Corrections parolees and pre-release
centers for convicts approaching pa
role dates.
Last week, the state board of Par
dons and Paroles selected Houston
as the place where they will test elec
tronic monitoring of non-violent in
mates.
On Monday, the Texas Depart
ment of Corrections is scheduled to
evaluate sites for as many as 10 new
prisons.
The Houston area is expected to
be included in the department’s con
sideration.
Some elected officials say the city’s
depressed property values may be
one reason many sites are chosen for
Houston, particularly in the city’s
south side and northeast Harris
County.
“Houston is getting an inordinate
share because of our property va
lues,” state Sen. Gene Green said.
“We have to accept our charge, but
they need to be located in other ur
ban areas, too.”
Corrections officials dispute
Green’s contention.
“At the outset, it looks like Harris
County is getting an unfair share of
criminals, but that’s not the case,”
parole board spokesman Mike
Roach said. “Some 25 to 30 percent
of all inmates are out of Harris
County, and will return to Harris
County.”
Activists say 1989 could be year
Houstonians elect black mayor
HOUSTON (AP) — Some activists already are eye
ing the 1989 mayor’s race, believing it may be the year
Houstonians elect their first black mayor.
“People think that’s the time for a black to run,” long
time Houston activist Zollie Scales Jr. says.
City councilmen Anthony Hall and Rodney Ellis al
ready are expressing support for a black candidacy, re
gardless of whether popular incumbent Mayor Kathy
Whitmire runs for re-election.
“I think there is a growing perception in Houston —
both in the minority communities as well as others —
that this is an open city, a pluralistic city, Ellis said. “I
feel the city has matured to the point that race would
not be the kiss of death for a candidate running for of
fice.”
Hall agrees. . . .
“My own sense is that there is a growing feeling in the
black community that a person who is black ought to
have an opportunity to be mayor,” Hall said.
Both men said the black community has been
inspired by black political victories in New Orleans, Eos
Angeles and Atlanta.
Problem Pregnancy?
we listen, we care, we help
Free pregnancy tests
concerned counselors
Brazos Valley
Crisis Pregnancy Service
We’re local!
1301 Memorial Dr.
24 hr. Hotline
823-CARE
Y STUDENTY
v ^ ❖
^ T-Camp
V,
d*
%
Auto Service
“Auto Repair At Its Best”
General Repairs
on Most Cars & Light Trucks
American & Import
OPEN MON-FRI
nsn 846-5344
m
Just on« mile north of A&M
On the Shuttle But Route
7:30-5:30 ^
e
lllRoyal, Bryan
Across S. College From Tom’s B-B-Q
Bonfire Cookie Crew
general meeting
Nov. to (g) Block®**
7:00 p.*n.
Everyone Wel corinfc?
V V Y Y Y Y Y V
IT IS A CRIME
TO MAKE UNAUTHORIZED
LONG DISTANCE CALLSI!
The unauthorized use or possession and distribution
of codes or calling card numbers with intent to de
fraud is a violation of Federal and State law. It is the
policy of University Communications, Inc. to seek
prosecution to the fullest extent allowed by law. Pun
ishments include fines and/or imprisonment.
yy y yyyyyyyy
- Y
The:
Bridal Boutique
Formal Wear
in /
Tea & Ballerina Lenghts j
Lame • Irridescent Taffeta • Satin
on Sale
Starting at
$39
95
Park Place Plaza • College Station • 693-0709
(next to Winn Dixie) /’ ,
Student Specials
Breakfast $l eB
2 Eggs, hashbrowns, toast, coffee
Breakfast
2 eggs, 2 pancakes, coffee
Sandwich $2"
Patty Melt, Fries & Soft Drink
All Specials good anytime
with current A&M or Blinn
k I.D. at Bryan/College Station
Kettles.
Expire* 11-30-ST
The Great
Communicator
$88.00
Everex internal modem,
1200/300 baud, auto-dial,
auto-answer, Hayes compatible,Bitcom
software included. 2400 baud: $188.00.
Sale ends November 21, 1987.
More bytes, less bucks.
CO/MPUTER
268-0730 403B University Dr. (Northgate)
PUT MORE
Y
Y|
Y
'■i,
Y
°r pr
hou gln Y
Y
Y
Y
YOUR LUNCH
Come to Mr. Gatti’s for No-Wait Lunch Buffet,
and watch your favorite daytime drama on our
big screen TV! Enjoy pizza, pasta, and salad bar
all you can eat for one low price! Plus all your
daytime television favorites; bigger than life! For
the best lunch in town and the best seat in the
house, come to Mr. Gatti’s today.
cut along dotted lineand present at time of purchase
■
■
■
SHAPE-UP SPECIAL qq 5
SALAD BAR & tZ:** h
•mmm Save $1.00 with this coupon.) J
SPAGATTI ALL YOU CAN EAT |
Fill up without filling out. Take a trip through our Fresh ’n Healthy
Salad f ' ■
Bar (more than 30 items). And have a plateful of tangy
Available during Buttat Hours Only
Not valid with other coupons or apaclal otters. Good
only et participating Mr. Qattl’s. Price ihown It per
person, Coupon msy be ueed by 1 or J people.
Coupon Expires 1Z-1S-I7
298-BI
The kw«t ptiMUWwn,
9fcaga«£9*4«?
■
1