Specialties · Plano office and Texas telehealth
Neurodiversity-affirming therapy for autistic children, teens, and adults. Never about changing who you are, always about helping life feel more manageable.
In person or online
Plano office, Texas telehealth
Evidence-based
research-backed approaches
On this page
Overview
Being autistic in a world built for other kinds of brains can be exhausting. Maybe your child melts down after school, social plans leave you drained for days, or you’ve spent years masking to fit in and you’re running out of energy to keep it up.
At Layers Counseling Specialists, we support autistic children, teens, and adults with therapy that respects how they experience the world. Autism care at Layers is led by Jessica Morales, LPC-Associate, a certified AutPlay therapy provider, in Plano and online across Texas.
Autism is a different way of sensing, thinking, and communicating. It shows up differently in every person, and many autistic people, especially girls and women, aren’t identified until their teens or adulthood.
The struggles autistic people bring to therapy often come from the mismatch between their needs and their environment: loud, busy places, unspoken social rules, or pressure to act typical. Our work is about easing that mismatch, building skills you want, and helping you feel understood.
Support needs vary a lot from one autistic person to the next. Many also live with anxiety, ADHD, or sleep problems, and we can help with those too.
Sessions are shaped around your needs, interests, and sensory preferences.
AutPlay therapy is a play-based approach for autistic and neurodivergent kids that builds emotional regulation, connection, and social confidence.
Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) skills are practical tools for intense feelings, meltdowns, and relationships.
We help you notice what your body needs and plan movement breaks, calming tools, and spaces that work for you.
We work on planning, conversations, boundaries, and everyday organization, on your terms.
We don’t use compliance-based methods. Sessions are sensory-friendly, and eye contact is never required.
Who it's for
We help kids build self-awareness, regulation, and communication skills while honoring their sensory needs and who they are.
Whether you were diagnosed recently or have identified as autistic for years, we help with burnout, masking, relationships, work stress, and self-acceptance.
We give you practical, affirming guidance for a calmer home that respects your child’s rhythm and needs.
OCD often appears alongside autism. Inference-based CBT (I-CBT) is explicit, logical, and doesn’t use exposure, which some autistic clients prefer.
Why Layers
Our work honors neurodivergent ways of being. No forced eye contact, no pressure to mask, and interests are welcome in the room.
Jessica is a certified AutPlay therapy provider and brings sensory-friendly, trauma-informed care to every session.
Meet at our Plano office or by secure video from anywhere in Texas, whichever is easier on your senses and your schedule.
Who you'll work with
Read about each therapist’s experience and approach to care.
Jessica, who has ADHD herself, offers neurodiversity-affirming care for ADHD, autism, and trauma, plus AutPlay for kids, in sensory-friendly sessions without forced eye contact.
jessica-morales
https://layerscounselingspecialists.clientsecure.me/request/date?clinicianId=1667142¤tTimeZone=America%2FChicago&preselected=true
Waitlist
Book a free consult
Alesha uses play therapy, AutPlay, and sandtray to help neurodivergent kids and teens handle big feelings, with sensory friendly sessions and parents as partners.
alesha-mizeur
https://layerscounselingspecialists.clientsecure.me/request/date?clinicianId=2158053¤tTimeZone=America%2FChicago&preselected=true
Accepting new clients
Book a free consultNext step
A free 15-minute video call with the clinician you want to work with. Ask anything about their approach, scheduling, or fees before you commit.
