Tell Me the Number Before Infinity

Book excerpt: TELL ME THE NUMBER BEFORE INFINITY is a hero's journey with Becky Taylor at the forefront of the 1975 federal education act mainstreaming disabled children into the public schools. Parents, teachers, people with disabilities, people who know and work with people with disabilities, those curious about how a child's mind works, and even brain researchers will find TELL ME THE NUMBER BEFORE INFINITY a fascinating account of Dena and Becky Taylor and their family as they describe life and the realities of having a disability. The mother, Dena, tells of her daughter's birth in 1972, about discovering Becky's cerebral palsy, her exceptional gift for calculus and depth of thought from the age of four. They write of Becky's early childhood, her school years and college to adulthood, in counterpoint, from their own distinct perspectives. Becky Taylor is a CPA, and a Computer Science graduate from the University of California, Santa Cruz. She lives in Santa Cruz where she vice-chairs the Commission on Disabilities, and is involved in other civic organizations. Dena, M.S.W., Rutgers University, is the mother of two grown daughters, and is retired from careers in social work and education. She is the author, editor and co-editor of six books on women's issues.