Supporting Your Child’s Journey: Personalized Autism Therapy in Orlando with Care & Expertise
Serving Southwest Orlando, Dr Phillps, Windermere & Winter Garden
Having trouble finding the right ASD Play Therapist for your Child or Teen?
Autism therapy in Orlando focuses on helping individuals with autism learn new skills and enhance their abilities to communicate, socialize, and navigate daily life more effectively. Watching your child struggle to connect, express themselves, or navigate daily challenges can be heartbreaking. You want to help, but no matter how much you try, it sometimes feels like you’re running out of ways to reach them. You’re not alone in this.
At Total Life Counseling, we understand the challenges families face, and we’re here to help. Our Autism Therapy in Orlando provides compassionate, personalized support to help children develop essential skills, build confidence, and form meaningful connections.
Every child on the autism spectrum is unique, which is why we tailor our approach to meet their individual needs. Through evidence-based techniques, we empower children to grow in communication, social interactions, emotional regulation, and daily life skills—helping them thrive in their own way.
What is Autism Therapy?
Parenting a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can feel challenging. Communication difficulties, sensory sensitivities, and social struggles can leave you wondering if your child will ever connect or gain independence.
Autism therapy is designed to help your child build essential life skills, manage behaviors, and improve communication.
At Total Life Counseling, we’re here to create opportunities for growth, connection, and confidence. With the right support, your child can make meaningful progress. We’re here to walk alongside you on this journey.
Everyday Challenges of Children with Autism
- Difficulty Communicating: Many children with ASD struggle to express their needs, leading to frustration and emotional distress. Some are nonverbal, while others have trouble forming sentences or understanding social cues.
- Behavioral Struggles: Repetitive behaviors, sensory sensitivities, and emotional meltdowns can make daily life unpredictable and stressful.
- Social Isolation: Forming friendships can feel impossible when a child has difficulty understanding social norms, group activities, or shared play.
- Feeding & Sensory Issues: Limited diets, food aversions, and texture sensitivities can make mealtimes overwhelming for the child and their parents.
- Co-Existing Conditions: Many children with autism also face ADHD, OCD, PTSD, or anxiety, making emotional regulation even more difficult.
- Academic & Learning Struggles: Special education can help, but without the proper support, many children fall behind due to difficulties with focus, comprehension, and structured learning.
Is Your Child Struggling with Autism? Here’s How TLC Can Help Them Thrive
Raising a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a journey filled with love but also uncertainty. Many parents struggle with heartbreaking questions—Will my child ever speak? Will they make friends? Will they be able to navigate the world independently?
Children with ASD face unique challenges that impact their quality of life. From nonverbal communication barriers to repetitive behaviors, the struggle is real—but so is the hope. At TLC, we believe every child has the potential to make fantastic progress with the proper support.
Our personalized therapy and support services empower children, teens, and families to embrace strengths, overcome challenges, and build meaningful connections. With a team of expert ASD counselors, we offer guidance tailored to your child’s needs—often available within a week of your call.
1. Family Counseling: Building Understanding, Strengthening Bonds
Autism isn’t just an individual journey—it’s a family experience. Our family counseling sessions help parents and siblings understand neurodiverse perspectives, improve communication, and create a supportive home environment where everyone feels heard and valued.
2. Individual Counseling: Confidence, Communication & Independence
We work one-on-one with children and young adults to help them understand social interactions, recognize body language, and navigate literal and figurative speech. Our goal is to equip them with the tools to express themselves, build confidence, and engage more comfortably with the world around them.
3. Social Skills Groups: Finding Friendship & Connection
Many children with autism struggle with social interactions, but with the right guidance, they can thrive. Our specialized social skills groups create a safe and encouraging space where children, teens, and young adults can practice real-world interactions, develop friendships, and gain confidence in social settings. These groups are especially beneficial for individuals with ADHD, Asperger’s, high-functioning autism, and other social delays.
4. Therapy Through Imagination
Play therapy taps into a child’s natural way of expressing themselves—through play. Whether it’s using puppets, sand trays, or action figures, each session becomes a safe space for children to explore their feelings and stories. It’s not just about the therapist analyzing—it’s about helping the child feel heard, understood, and emotionally lighter, one playful moment at a time.
5. Play Therapy for Children on the Autism Spectrum
Play therapy works beautifully for kids with autism, PDD, ASD, or Asperger’s—no matter their verbal abilities. Because it’s tailored to each child’s needs and interests, it meets them right where they are. Whether they’re nonverbal or highly expressive, this therapy helps them connect, communicate, and grow in a way that feels natural and fun.
Empowering Children with Autism Through Real-World Experiences
At Total Life Counseling (TLC), we design programs that go beyond therapy rooms—helping children with autism thrive in real-life social settings. Our specialized camps combine fun, adventure, and therapeutic support to nurture confidence, communication, and independence.
Orlando Social Skills Summer Camp: Learning Through Experience
Summer camp is more than just fun—it’s a chance to grow. Our one-week overnight camp gives children the opportunity to enjoy classic camp activities while receiving gentle, individualized support from trained counselors. Through structured group games, guided social interactions, and character-building challenges, campers build resilience, leadership, and the tools to connect with others more naturally.
Orlando Adventure-Based Social Skills Day Camp: Growth Through Play
This day camp is designed for hands-on learners who benefit from movement and play. Using ropes courses and group challenges, we help children develop critical social skills like teamwork, communication, and emotional regulation. With a compassionate team by their side, campers safely explore new experiences, stretch their boundaries, and gain confidence in social situations.
You’re Not Alone—We’re Here to Help
At TLC, we believe that every child has the potential to thrive with the proper support. Whether you’re searching for autism therapy near me, an autism therapist in Orlando, or an autism counselor in Orlando, we are here to help your child progress, one milestone at a time. Book Your Appointment Now!




Overview
Play Therapy for Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) at TLC
Therapy Through Imagination
Play therapy, depending on the style used, may involve games, puppets, playing with a sand tray, and more to get the child involved in his or her inner world. They may use miniature figures to tell a story, toys to defeat the imaginary evil, or something else altogether. The point is not always for the therapist to evaluate the child’s situation, although that often happens, but rather for the child to experience the emotional release and inner healing that they need during each session.
Play Therapy and Autistic Spectrum Disorders
Children with autism, PDD, ASD, or aspergers benefit greatly from this form of therapy regardless of whether they have zero, nearly zero, limited, or great verbal skills. Play therapy is so individualized that it specifically caters to each child’s needs, skill level, and interests, no matter how varied.
Why Play Therapy?
The benefits of play therapy for children with autism include working through issues in a safe environment, helping parents connect with their children, assessing a child’s sensory threshold, and evaluating other concerns as they may arise.
Total Life In The News
Total Life Counseling Play Therapy Experts Have Been Featured On Multiple TV Networks and News Stations:
Our subject matter experts have participated in over 200 national & local news interviews and they are here for you!
At Total Life Counseling Center our Counselors are Experts for National and Local TV, Radio and Print Media. We have an excellent reputation amongst graduate & private schools, attorneys, doctors, therapists, providers and corporations. We strive to ensure our therapists have diverse clinical backgrounds, to allow us to match each client to the therapist that will best meet his or her needs.
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Testimonials
A Few Kind Words From Satisfied Clients
“He is doing so well! We are continuing with the diet changes and vitamins and his attitude is so much better. You were right! – kids don’t see you for very long [because of the diet, supplements and coaching]! We are so grateful for your help. We were in a bad place before we saw you and I am really amazed at the difference.”
Anne Marie
Parent
“So glad you duked it out with us. You always gave way above and beyond what I think most in your field would have. And I don’t think anyone else could have reached our teenage son as you did. Thanks from the bottom of my heart.”
Kristi
Parent & Teacher
“Jim, thank you again for giving so much of your time on Friday. The feedback I got from everyone that attended was extremely positive. I also gave a copy of your DVD to one of our teachers. Your help will make an enormous difference for Daniel both at home and at school.”
Anonymous
“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 to Jim and the caring team of professionals at Total Life Counseling – you are an answer to prayer.”
Tim & Janet
Parents
Struggling with ADHD, ASD or Defiance?
It’s Time to Stress Less!
Everyone knows someone struggling with ADHD, ASD or Defiance. So, Jim West Developed the StressLess Educational Series as a comprehensive video program to help people all over the world! StressLess Now or Book Jim as a Guest Speaker Today! Click for more info and free video tips.
Southwest Orlando Office Location
Our Total Life Counseling Center Southwest Orlando location is conveniently located at Metro West Professional Plaza near Dr. Phillips & Windermere 2 miles off the 408 off Hiawassee. Surrounded by shops and beautiful sceneries, our main office location provides counseling, therapy, coaching, camps and career services for relationships, addictions, abuse, trauma, depression, ADHD, and more!
Total Life Counseling Center Metro West (Main Office)
Metro West Professional Plaza
1507 South Hiawassee Road, Suite 101
Orlando, FL 32835