Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder affecting interpersonal interactions and cognitive, social, communication, and motor skills. It also may lead to specific behaviors and interests. People’s experiences of ASD can vary greatly. For this reason, counseling interventions for individuals with ASD also range in their purpose and intent.
Available Treatment Options
Most mental health professionals agree that early intervention for people with ASD leads to better outcomes. Therapists may reduce problematic behaviors and improve communication, social skills, and sensory skills. Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) is a type of behavioral therapy that counselors use specifically to increase desired behaviors and reduce undesired ones. Counselors may use Play Therapy to increase awareness of emotions and social skills and Speech-Language Therapy to improve communication skills.
Therapists Who Specialize in Helping Those Who Struggle With Autism
LightHeart Psychological Associates provide therapy and assessment for children, adolescents and adults. We provide individual, family, and couples therapy. We work with all variety of concerns, including acute and chronic depression and anxiety, abuse and trauma, LGBTQ issues, conflicted relationships, and personality disorders. We also have experience working successfully with eating disorder...
I am a licensed clinical social worker with a specialty serving infants, toddlers and pre-school aged children and their families, and also serve elementary school-aged children. As a parent and a professional, I know how challenging parenting young children can be. I also know how foundational the early years are to children and newly developing families. I want to support caregivers to figure...
Do you feel there is an area of you life that needs improvement, direction, guidance, change, or growth? Is the old tried and true approach you take, not working anymore? Come improve your mood, reduce anxiety and worry, strengthen your self-esteem, improve your ability to manage stress, work through educational barriers and social challenges, plan for career changes/new...
22 years of counseling and social work experience. I look at the whole person, including; their childhood experiences, past trauma, relationships, family systems/family/support systems, health and wellness, lifestyle, choices, life skills, stress management, healthy outlets, communication, self-awareness, life-balance, values and beliefs, financial, self-care, and other influences. This holisti...
I am a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Louisiana, with several years experience in mental health counseling. I received a Master of Science in Counseling Psychology from Louisiana State University- Shreveport and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Xavier University of Louisiana. Throughout my professional career I have worked with adult clients from various backgrounds wit...
The current state is one of increased stress, uncertainty, and anxiety. It's easy to feel overwhelmed and lonely in the midst of this. Please feel free to reach out, whether you are looking for temporary support via telehealth or are looking for more long-term services where we can transition to sessions in person at a later date. As a licensed psychologist in Connecticut and New York, I have...
Leigh Wooten, Ed.S., BCBA, is a Licensed School Psychologist, and a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and has been a practicing School Psychologist for twenty years. Mrs. Wooten provides school psychological services and educational evaluations. She specializes in evaluations designed to measure learning and processing information (short term/long term memory, etc), such as evaluations fo...
My work has strongly focused on at-risk children, adolescents, and families and the use of tested and effective treatments. I have had many years of experience with children and youth at risk due to problem behaviors and ADHD, autism spectrum disorders, delinquency, and other risks out of children's control, such as poverty, parental corrections involvement, and foster care. I most typically wo...
Do you feel lonely, hopeless, anxious or depressed? Do you feel like no one understands you? Do you struggle with developing and maintaining social and/or intimate relationships? If so, I'm interested in helping you find healing and a sense of empowerment as you strive to live life to its fullest potential. Together, we can get there. Do you need to improve your social or coping skills or boost...
Ever feel like no matter what you do, you're never quite "good enough"? You keep trying but things don't seem to be changing? Are you feeling tired, frustrated, and out of ideas? One of the most painful things in life is feeling as though the ones who are suppose to be the closest to you don't know, understand, love, or support you. Maybe you have already tried to change things on your own, or...
Feeling stressed with COVID-19? Important transitions? Grief? Let me assist you on the journey of exploring the possibilities in your present situation. Life can be very difficult to navigate with everyday challenges without COVID-19 in addition to daily personal struggles in our lives. I believe in the value of each person to make positive changes in their life and the lives of others. If you'...
Whether you are going through a stressful period in your life or simply want to take steps towards personal growth my hope is to walk along side you in that journey. One of my main goals as a counselor is to offer a safe, non-judgmental, environment to explore your deepest thoughts and feelings as well as offer unconditional support. I understand how difficult it can be to open up and share you...
“I have worked with children, teenagers, young adults, and parents for 49 years, providing strategies for developing stress management, emotional resilience, and conflict resolution. I use a variety of therapeutic approaches, including cognitive behavioral therapy and parenting guidance. Notice: due to the outbreak of the coronavirus, I am now conducting all counseling sessions through video...
Are you feeling stuck in your healing process? Do you often struggle to find the words to describe how you are feeling? Do you want to learn new ways to solve problems, manage stress, express emotions and improve self-esteem? As a Creative Arts Therapist, my goal is to help clients explore and look at their lives in a new or different way as they journey on the road to healing and wholeness. I...
Searching for support through recent life transitions (e.g., entering college, marriage, professional milestones)? Are you experiencing family changes? Do you have parenting concerns? Has your child been diagnosed with a disability? Do you want to make your relationships stronger? Struggling with identity? Have you been experiencing anxiety and/or depression due to these life events? I would li...
