CHRISTINE JASKULSKI, BCEA-F

Christine serves on the Advisory Board of NSEAI.

Even as a young child, I was concerned about the wellbeing of my family and friends and knew I would pursue a career in social work. I started as a mental health clinician and was quickly frustrated by the lack of effective services, so I moved into the research field to study system level changes to address the deficiencies. I entered the advocacy world when my child was experiencing learning difficulties and quickly learned that I needed to become informed about Special Education Law in order to effectively advocate for her. My passion as an advocate for my daughter landed me a job with the ARC of Montgomery County as an Education Advocate. I moved into private practice when I recognized the need for individualized advocacy, one size does not fit all. I am so fortunate for the experience I gained as a Health Care Facilitator for individuals with Developmental Disabilities, as I learned about their primary health, mental health, education, employment and community service needs. This information is invaluable to me in advocating for the whole person. I learned the power of data and scientific proof from working as a researcher, another vital tool to effective advocacy. Finally, I returned to school at the age of 57 because as a clinician, researcher, advocate and consumer I found it impossible to ignore inadequate and ineffective public policy. I earned a Masters degree in Public Policy and Administration and it has helped me gain a much needed perspective into the limitations of the education system and helped focus my advocacy.