Busy professional has become leading Asperger’s advocate
CAREER: Public Relations
FAVORITE BOOK: “To Kill A Mockingbird”
FAVORITE MUSIC: R&B
VACATION DREAMS: Israel & Italy
She was a lucky kid who had the benefit of city life—and suburban life—all by the time she was 17.
Until the age of 10, Jackie Sklut Pantaliano was a Brooklynite. Then her family moved to the North Jersey town of Pinebrook, and life was instantly different.
“We went from a two-bedroom apartment to a five-bedroom house, and it was like a new universe. But I have wonderful memories from both places,” said Pantaliano, the founder and president of ImPRessions, a Voorhees public relations firm she launched in 1996. Prior to that, Pantaliano, a graduate of Douglass College of Rutgers University, was in corporate PR in North Jersey.
Upbeat and spirited, she took on challenges, both personally and professionally, that might have stymied a less determined sort. Along with working in the most competitive areas of her field, and dealing with major media players like the Wall Street Journal and national networks, Jackie married Bob Pantaliano, a man of a different religion who had been married before, and who brought three young children to the marriage. “It was tough going sometimes, but well worth the struggle,” she said.
When the couple joyfully greeted a son of their own, committed to raising him in a Jewish life, they soon discovered that Steven had some challenges of his own.
“At first, we just couldn’t get a diagnosis. When Steven was in third grade, we were told he had Bipolar disorder, which was thankfully incorrect,” recalled his mom. “It was actually when I went to online support groups and described our son that other mothers suggested that he might have Asperger Syndrome.” That diagnosis was confirmed when Steven was in fifth grade.
Pantaliano immediately became not just a part of the Autism/Asperger community, but also one of its leaders. She was the coordinator/ driving force in the Camden/Burlington County Chapter of ASPEN (Asperger Syndrome Education Network) shepherding the organization’s growth and visibility and making it the fastest-growing chapter in New Jersey. She also plunged into other local and regional organizations that deal with issues of the higher functioning, special needs population.
Today, Steven is thriving at the Yale School, and his mother describes a 16-yearold young man who is, in her words, “…funny, creative, exuberant, loving, affectionate and smart.” A high point was Steven’s bar mitzvah at Cong. M’kor Shalom, the family’s synagogue. It was an occasion that allowed him to shine.
“I’m incredibly proud of Steven,” said Pantaliano, who recently spoke at a Friday night service at M’kor Shalom focused on special needs. She told the moving story of her dedication to a son who brings her great joy, but is sometimes misunderstood. .
