Orlando Autistic Spectrum Disorder ASD Counseling and Therapy – Offices Conveniently located in Southwest Orlando, East Orlando, Lake Mary, Winter Park and Clermont Florida FL
Want peace and control in your home? Want your child to socialize and make friends? It could be just a few sessions away.
How long does ASD Autistic Spectrum Disorder Counseling take?
Students with Autistic Spectrum Disorder might benefit from Play therapy, and may need counseling off and on throughout the course of their lives. Treating ASD involves Individual, & family therapy, as well as, social skills groups as well. A high percentage of students with autism also have ADHD and anxiety as well and so in this case all of those issues would need to be addressed and we can help!
If the primary need is social skills, we highly recommend Total Life Counseling’s social skills groups. These groups are designed for accelerated growth and change. Each child begins learning new social skills immediately. Positive and lasting change occurs most frequently in group therapy. Counseling for those with Autistic Spectrum Disorder is generally a longer term counseling, individually and in group sessions. Call for more information on our Social Skills Groups, Day and Summer Overnight Camps.
Our Orlando Child and Teen Autistic Spectrum Disorder Specialists Are Available with Offices in Southwest Orlando, East Orlando, Lake Mary, Winter Park and Clermont Florida FL.
Orlando Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Overview
Learn about Autistic Spectrum Disorder and symptoms, and which treatment options are right for you.
In this section:
- What to Expect from Counseling?
- Why therapy?
- What can one expect from counseling?
- What are the symptoms of Autistic Spectrum Disorder?
- Restricted repetitive stereotyped patterns of behavior interests, activities, as manifested by at least one of the following: Disorder
- Resources:
- Finding the Best Counselor
- Orlando Social Skills Groups and Camp Services Offered:
- What others are saying?
- Our Complimentary Social Skills Self Esteem Articles and Tips
What to Expect from Counseling
Food for thought – How we eat effects how we think, act and feel. There’s a Ted Talk and many books on how the Gut is the Second Brain! Learn how to increase flexibility by modifying your diet and vitamins to discuss with your doctor to reduce anxiety and increase focus/executive functioning.
Adult: Adults on the ASD can find comfort in helping professionals who understand ASD and provide assistance with the followingSocial Skills in Group or Individual Settings – We have Social Skills Coaching and Weekly Groups
- Relationship Issues including dating or marital issues – Our team has relationship experts to help coach couples with ASD
- Career issues – Our team performs career assessments to pick the right career and can connect them to local vocational organizations whom can assist in finding a job.
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Parents or Caregivers of Children on the ASD children may encounter frustrations, isolation, and need support themselves. Our staff can help.
- Literal versus Figurative Language is helping the ASD adult learn to read subtle facial gestures and process what is being said to understand when people are speaking figuratively rather than take everything literally. For example – “Sorry Charlie” – “My Name is not Charlie” or “Get out of Town” “Got He**! I am only 13 years old, how am I going to get a job, how am I going to eat, where am I going to live!”
Child or Teen: Children frequently receive Occupational and Speech, as well as other therapies which improve their condition, but they also need social skills services.
- Social Skills Groups – One of the greatest things ASD’s face is a lack of friendships. While it is possible, it is more challenging when one is an adult to tackle the issue of social isolation. The best time to tackle social skills is before a child turns 18.
- Emotional support which they need as well. Autistic Spectrum children may not express themselves and their emotions like typical people do. They feel emotions intensely and often feel people know how they will feel when they are disappointed, but feel victimized as if the person purposely wanted to traumatize them. ASD students could use guidance in being able to appropriately express themselves.
- Family Support Education on ASD to help family members understand their ASD family member and provide better support and cope.
- Parent Support/Coaching and Behavior Modification tools and charts specifically designed for the Autistic Spectrum Child (ASD) or Teens needs.
- Literal versus Figurative Language is helping the ASD child or teen understand when people are speaking figuratively rather than take everything literally. For example – “Sorry Charlie” – “My Name is not Charlie” or “Get out of Town” “Got He**! I am only 13 years old, how am I going to get a job, how am I going to eat, where am I going to live!”
Why therapy?
Our therapists understand the isolation and loneness parents of Autistic Spectrum Disorder children sometimes feel. Having someone listen, unconditionally, and provide proven suggestions and resources can be a huge relief. Also, for those who have Autistic Spectrum Disorder, it’s nice to have at least one place where s/he can express himself, and receive constructive feedback in order to help him be able to achieve his goals in life.
What can one expect from counseling?
Whether Adult, Child, or Teen, your counselor will tailor counseling to your unique, individual needs. In your very first session, you and your counselor will review your goals and come up with a strategy to achieve those goals.
What are the symptoms of Autistic Spectrum Disorder?
According to the DSM-V, published by the American Psychiatric Association, ASD is a qualitative impairment in social interaction as manifested by at least two of the following:
1. Deficits in social-emotional reciprocity, ranging, for example, from abnormal social approach and failure of normal back-and-forth conversation; to reduced sharing of interests, emotions, or affect; to failure to initiate or respond to social interactions.
2. Deficits in nonverbal communicative behaviors used for social interaction, ranging, from poorly integrated verbal and nonverbal communication; to abnormalities in eye contact and body language or deficits in understanding and use of gestures; to a total lack of facial expressions and nonverbal communication.
Restricted repetitive stereotyped patterns of behavior interests, activities, as manifested by at least one of the following:
1. Encompassing preoccupation with one or more stereotyped and restricted patterns of interest that is abnormal either in intensity or focus
2. Apparently inflexible adherence to specific, non functional routines or rituals
3. Stereotyped and repetitive motor mannerisms (e.g., hand or finger flapping or twisting, or complex whole body movements)
4. Persistent preoccupation with of objects
C. the disturbance causes clinically significant impairment in social, occupational or other important areas of functioning.
D. There is no clinically significant general delay in language (e.g., single words used by age 2 years, communicative phrases used by age 3 years).
E. There is no clinically significant delay in cognitive development or in the development of age-appropriate self-help skills, adaptive behavior (other than in social interaction), and curiosity about the environment in childhood.
F. Criteria are not met for another specific Pervasive Developmental Disorder or Schizophrenia
Autistic spectrum disorder, services in Orlando, Florida
Getting Help: Which ASD Counseling and the Right Treatment that is Right for You and your Child or Teen?
Autistic Spectrum Disorder help could be just a few sessions away. Our ASD Counselors are specialists are available to help usually within a week of your call. Call for a complimentary phone consultation to find out which of the below therapies is best for you!
Family Counseling
Family counseling provide support for siblings and parents to understand how Nuro typical people think versus a typical teens and children.
Individual Counseling
Individual counseling to help understand autistic, spectrum disorder, and behaviors and learn the difference between literal versus figurative speech, read, peoples body language, boundaries!
Close the gap socially for those with autism, so they can interact better with their peers and work toward more meaningful, long-term friendships, and relationships.
The journey to better begins today.
Experience a Total Life Counseling Therapy Difference
Don’t let ASD Autistic Spectrum Disorder control your life. Get into counseling, diet, and exercise, for the best results!
At Total Life Counseling Center in Orlando Florida we look at the whole person, clients experience symptom relief sooner by incorporating exercise, dietary adjustments, supplements along with therapy. TLC has offices in southwest, Orlando, Lake, Mary, Winter Park, Avalon Park, East, Orlando, and Clermont, Florida.
Finding the Best Counselor
It can be difficult to find the perfect counselor, especially when it is your child who needs the help. You might be worried about who they will be seeing, how they will be treated, or if they will get the help they need. Here at Total Life, our counselors have quite a bit of experience and expertise, and are often interviewed by television, radio, and print media. We have often been told that our counselors are easy to approach and speak with, which is something that we take a great amount of pride in. On top of that, many of our counselors are trained in specialized therapy techniques and tend to take a more interactive approach with students and young adults, especially in group settings. You can count on Total Life Counseling to bring your child the best treatment available and to make you feel safe in bringing them to counseling.
Orlando Social Skills Groups and Camp Services Offered:
Orlando Social Skills Groups
Total Life Counseling offers several groups for individuals with problems interacting and identifying with their peers and is for ADHD, ADD, Aspergers, High Functioning Autism, Pervasive Developmental Disorder and other kids that need help catching up socially! These groups are wonderful for both students and young adults who have social delays, and personal fears. Whatever the reason, our groups offer many benefits and will help you or your student develop the skills necessary for social development. Being around others with the same concerns helps to build friendships, support systems, and reassurances to help you overcome whatever it is you are dealing with.
Orlando Social Skills Summer Camp
This is a great Summer Camp for ADHD, ADD, High Functioning Autism, and other kids that need help catching up socially. Here at Total Life Counseling we offer a one-week, overnight camp experience where your child will blend in with other students at a normal Summer Camp. This process is a wonderful way for our counselors to see how your child reacts to a “normal” camp experience where they are surrounded by kids their own age. Our counselors will blend in as well, wearing camp counselor t-shirts and explaining that they are from “Total Leadership Camp” to keep your child from feeling singled out. However, your child and the rest of the group will get more time on the ropes course every day and during this time our counselors will meet with them to discuss how the day is going. This is a wonderful learning experience for all involved, as it teaches character building, communication skills, responses to bullying and many more skills.
Orlando Adventure Based Social Skills Day Camp
Would you like for your child to learn social skills and leadership by being included in a group of their peers? This Day Camp is for ADHD, ADD, Aspergers, High Functioning Autism, Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Social Anxiety and other kids that need help catching up socially. That is the basic idea of our Ropes Course Day Camp – building the social skills they want and need in a new, already social environment. This camp divides students up by their ages and puts them on a Low or High elements ropes course where they will be encouraged and cheered on by the other students in the group. They will not be forced to do these ropes courses if they do not want to, but we have found that students tend to come out of their shell when kids their own age encourage them. This course can help students with leadership, character building, responding to bullying, and many other types of necessary social skills.
What others are saying? | Testimonials
“I just wanted to shoot you an email to thank you for your help with our daughter. I can’t tell you how perfect these Monday evening sessions are. They address the EXACT problems she is currently having at school. She loves coming to see you and the boys in her group. I am sorry for all the interrupting she does. I am grateful for how kindly and respectfully you handle it–it teaches me how to do the same. I have been spreading the word about the TLC center. Her psychiatrist, Dr. Susanna Chyu was very intrigued.
Thomas is doing awesome! You would be so amazed to see God’s work in progress. Thank you for . . your leadership camp have changed Tommy’s life.
We were so thankful to Total Life Counseling. Over the past five years, we had seen five other counselors/psychologists with our son, but in the last 1 1/2 years our son gained skills to cope. The ADHD/Social Skills group helped our son realize that he was not alone. The parenting skills group helped us know how to anticipate problems and equipped us to handle them. Thank you Jim and Total Life Counseling – you are an answer to prayer.
