Linda Janulis is the Vice President of Children Services at Easter Seals in Silver Springs, MD. Children who have disabilities have always had a special place in her heart. To Janulis, working with children and their families means making their lives a bit easier, promoting respect and tolerance of others, and assisting children to reach their individual potential.
Janulis thinks Easter Seals is unique because they work with children and families in an inclusionary early care and educational environment, which teaches children daily activities that reflect Easter Seals core values. “We work together to celebrate our differences with respect and tolerance, have all taught us invaluable lessons for life,” said Janulis.
One of her favorite stories involves a mother coming to her pre-school, demanding that they let her daughter with cerebral palsy enroll. Her daughter Erin had already been turned down by seven pre-schools. After Easter Seals made the proper arrangements for Erin to join the class, her mother tried to teach the other children about Erin and her condition. At the end of the day, the children were smiling and singing to Erin, making her smile the biggest it had ever been. Janulis loves this story because it shows how Easter Seals promotes tolerance and allows children to just be children.
Janulis is very passionate about promoting acceptance of children with special needs in classrooms, especially from parents with typically developing children. She also thinks it is vital for parents to understand the importance of addressing early intervention in young children from zero to five for future school success.
Janulis has had limited training on children with special needs, parent communication and assessments. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Primary Education from Chicago State University and a Master of Science in Leadership and Social Policy in Early Education from Wheelock College in Boston, MA.
Connect with us: