Michelle McFarland-McDaniels

Founder and Founding Board Member

Michelle McFarland-McDaniels is a licensed professional educator who has taught both disabled and nondisabled students as a public school teacher; a former Local School Council (LSC) member; an experienced advocate; and a passionate disability rights, special education rights and healthcare equity activist. Ms. McFarland-McDaniels and her husband are the proud parents of three children, including two young adults who are affected by disability. She has served as the volunteer Director of Political Action, Activism and Advocacy for Chicago South Side Autism Support Group and later served as a board member of the organization after it was renamed Chicagoland Autism Connection. Michelle has served on the Illinois Department of Human Services Autism Project Parent Advisory Council, the Illinois Department of Human Services Office of Developmental Disabilities Chicago South Network Advisory Council and the South Side United Local School Council Federation. She also founded two online advocacy groups—Moms On A Mission (MOM!) and Parents of Autistic Chicago Public Schools Students United—that successfully advocated for much needed changes to Chicago Public Schools special education policies, practices, processes and procedures. Michelle has a professional background in media, communications, education and government.

Paul Eric Butler

Founding Board Member

Paul Eric Butler is the past president of the Chicagoland Autism Connection, one of the largest and most active predominantly African-American autism support groups in the country.  Mr. Butler is the married father of four adult sons, including a young man who has autism. After thirty-five years as a teacher, assistant principal, and acting principal in the Chicago community of Englewood, he retired in 2004 to spend more time taking care of his son with autism.  Along with being a loving husband, assuring that his son with autism receives an appropriate education, escorting him to various medical and therapy appointments, and helping him to make sense of an often confusing and sometimes insensitive world consumes most of Paul’s post-retirement time. Mr. Butler is determined to change the public face of autism by voicing the concerns of families of color that are caring for a loved one who has an autism spectrum disorder. He frequently speaks to parent groups and professionals – educating them on autism issues and continuing to advocate for a more autism-friendly society while serving as the chairman of Chicagoland Autism Connection’s Advisory Board.

Shirley A. Perez

Founding Board Member

Shirley A. Perez currently serves as the Executive Director of the Family Support Network and Program Director of the Ligas Family Advocate Program, both programs of the Arc of Illinois. Ms. Perez, who is the mother of a young adult living with a developmental disability, has over 40 years of hands-on experience working with and on behalf of individuals who have disabilities and their families. She has held a variety of positions, including working at an Independent Service Coordination Agency (ISC), where she advocated for and assisted families in locating services, and as a Special Project Advocate with the Illinois Life Span Project, where her responsibilities included assisting families/guardians who had family members transitioning into the community from State Operated Developmental Centers (SODC). Ms. Perez is an active member of the Quality Care Board, to which she was appointed by the governor, and she serves on various Department of Human Services committees. Shirley’s passion for advocacy is fueled by her desire to help her daughter and others with disabilities reach their full potential. Her philosophy is, “Everyone can succeed with the right support!”