Nicole Nicole received a degree in Social Work from HoodCollege in Frederick, Maryland where she continued to live for five years working as a program specialist for a national model psychosocial rehabilitation program serving adults with serious mental illness. She returned to her hometown of WIndber, Pennsylvania where she continues to live with her 15 year old son, Harper. She worked for the local intermediate unit as mental health services coordinator for several years until Harper was diagnosed with Cornelia de Lange Syndrome at age 2 1/2 years. She remained active in "special education issues" by joining with other mothers in her area to form a local, grassroots parent education and advocacy group, PUMPT (Parents United for Making Progress Together). She continues as the lead advocate for PUMPT. Nicole is also a member of the Early Childhood and Education subcommittee of Systems Advocacy and Governmental Affairs committee of the Arc of Pennsylvania. Nicole is the Chair of the LRE Practices Committee of the Pennsylvania Department of Education, Bureau of Special Education, Bureau Director's Advisory Panel for Least Restrictive Environment Practices, which was formed as part of the Department of Education's implementation of the Gaskin v. Commonwealth Settlement Agreement. Locally, she serves on the Advisory Board of Behavioral Health Services of Bedford-Somerset Counties and on the Health Choices Stakeholders Steering Committee. Nicole continues as Pennsylvania Awareness Coordinator for the Cornelia de Lange Syndrome (CdLS) Foundation, which serves families of individuals with CdLS across the United States and worldwide.