Russell Shilling, the newly appointed leader of the federal government's autism care and diagnosis initiative, has a résumé that spans the military, technology, and children's television. A Navy veteran and experimental psychologist, Shilling spent years at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), where he worked on virtual reality therapy for Iraq War veterans with PTSD and built early chatbot prototypes aimed at destigmatizing mental health issues in clinical settings.
His personal life also informs the role: Shilling is the father of two sons with autism. In addition, he spent six years working with Sesame Street, a period that left him with a sky-blue puppet in his office—a felt counterpart that shares his glasses and close-cropped hair. The combination of technical expertise, lived experience, and outreach experience is central to understanding how the new initiative will approach improving autism care and diagnosis, according to the STAT report.
The article notes that Shilling's office in Fairfax, Va., displays both his military medals and the puppet, symbolizing the dual influences of his career. No other sources were provided, so the details here rest solely on the STAT profile.