USA Regional Autism Network Names Director

Michelle McDaniel was recently named director of the University of South Alabama Regional Autism Network. Previously, she worked as a program coordinator for Mobile’s The CORE Project, Inc., a nonprofit that provides clinical care, educational opportunities and support for those with special needs, and as director of community resources and marketing for the Autism Society of Alabama. She was director of one of the first inclusive preschools in Mobile County. McDaniel served as vice president of the Gulf Coast Child Development Association and later as co-chair of the Early Intervention Council of Southwest Alabama. She was the first Sibshop facilitator in Alabama, providing a program for siblings of autistic individuals to connect with others who share similar experiences. She is also trained in the SCERTS Model, an educational approach for teaching children diagnosed with autism-spectrum disorders. She has collaborated with agencies and individuals across Alabama to provide community trainings, workshops and conferences. McDaniel holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in collaborative special education, both from the University of South Alabama, where she received the Chronis Award for Special Education as a graduate student.