Autism Academy names McCauley Executive Director

Former HHS official to lead Columbia-based center treating children with autism

The Autism Academy of South Carolina (AASC) announced the appointment of Michael McCauley as its Executive Director.

“From his work during the early days of the Ryan’s Law grassroots effort, to his distinguished service at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Mike McCauley is a proven advocate for children with autism,” said Lorri Shealy Unumb, Esq., AASC Board Chair and national Vice President of State Government Affairs for Autism Speaks. “We are fortunate to have a seasoned administrator like Mike join the Autism Academy to build on our work providing exceptional services for children and serving as a resource for South Carolina families impacted by autism.”

McCauley joins AASC after serving for five years as a senior official at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in Washington, DC. From 2013 to 2014, he was Chief of Staff at the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), a $50 billion, 1,500-employee social services agency within HHS responsible for federal programs promoting early childhood education, child development, child welfare, and human trafficking prevention, among others. Prior to joining ACF, McCauley served for four years as White House Liaison at HHS, where he advised the Secretary of Health and Human Services on management, personnel, and intergovernmental and external affairs issues. Prior to his tenure in federal government, McCauley served in leadership roles on legislative and electoral campaigns across the South, including as an advisor to the grassroots legislative effort that led to the passage of Ryan’s Law, a landmark bill mandating insurance coverage for South Carolina children with autism. He is a graduate of The Citadel and a member of the inaugural graduating class at the Charleston School of Law. He is also the proud sibling of an adult with special needs.

Founded in 2010, the Autism Academy of South Carolina is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization offering individualized Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy to clients with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Our team of highly qualified professionals provides one-on-one and small-group ABA therapy to children and adolescents aged 2 to 21 in a center-based setting. In addition, AASC offers parent training, school consultation, social skills groups, speech therapy, and summer camps, as well as a multidisciplinary neurodevelopmental diagnostic center providing ADHD and autism testing conducted by collaborating psychologists, developmental pediatricians, and speech and language pathologists. Founded by concerned parents from Lexington, SC, Dan and Lorri Unumb, fellow ASD-affected families, and other professionals as a response to the rapidly growing need for ASD resources and support, AASC strives to help children with autism acquire the skills necessary to become fully capable members of their communities, ultimately able to prosper without the need for intensive intervention.

Prior to co-founding AASC, Lorri Unumb penned a bill, now known as Ryan’s Law, in 2005, requiring insurers to cover evidence-based treatment of ASD, including ABA therapy. Passed in 2007, Ryan’s Law served as a catalyst for a national movement toward autism insurance reform. Lorri currently serves as the national Vice President for State Government Affairs at Autism Speaks – helping more than 40 states pass laws similar to Ryan’s Law – while Dan Unumb serves as Executive Director of the Autism Speaks Legal Resource Center.

The Autism Academy of South Carolina is located at 1505 Blanding Street, Columbia, SC, 29201.
www.autismacademyofsc.org