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Autism Behavior Support for Your Child
I’m Sharon Kaye O’Connor, LCSW, an autistic therapist, and I offer non-behaviorist (non-ABA) autism behavior support that treats your child’s behavior as communication about distress, discomfort or unmet needs. I work remotely with parents, caregivers, teachers and providers across New York, the USA and worldwide to find the root cause and create accommodations that last.
How I Support Your Autistic Child
- Translate autistic communication so you can see what behavior is telling you
- Identify unmet needs through our conversation, finding the sources of distress, discomfort, or overwhelm
- Create sustainable accommodations that address root causes
- Strengthen parent-child connection as trust grows
- Compassionate caregiver support with insight and encouragement
Fees & Session Info
Support is tailored to your family, with remote sessions that meet you where you are.
I work in partnership with parents, caregivers, teachers, and treatment providers.
Contact me for fees
Tailored to your family
How to Book
Contact me to discuss fees, scheduling, and the right format for your child.
Tailored Autism Behavior Support
When your child shows dysregulation or what others call “challenging behavior,” it’s often a signal of distress, discomfort, or an unmet need.
I believe in true partnership between parents, caregivers, and treatment providers. Together, we’ll develop a behavior support plan that supports healthy and sustainable self-regulation, tailored to your child’s unique needs and your family’s values.
I provide autism behavioral support services throughout NY, the USA, and worldwide, offering remote support that meets your family where you are. I look forward to learning about your family’s needs and finding the right support for your loved one.
Instead of asking “How can we change this behavior?” I help you ask: “What is this behavior trying to tell us?”
Why Non-Behaviorist Support Works Better
Sticker charts, time-outs, rewards, and token economies are often recommended, but as a clinician and parent I’ve found they can increase distress. Behaviorist methods miss what your child experiences underneath:
Outward Behavior Reflects Internal State
You cannot punish someone out of distress or praise them into comfort.
Masking Increases Over Time
Children learn to hide distress to earn approval, while stress builds invisibly.
Bigger Meltdowns Follow
Suppressed distress eventually erupts in more intense dysregulation.
Short-Term Fixes Fail Families
Behaviorist approaches kick the can down the road instead of addressing root causes.
When we understand the cause of distress and make the needed accommodations, positive behavior support happens naturally and sustainably.
How I Work
1. Understanding Your Child’s Whole Story
I start by speaking with parents to gather background on your child’s strengths, needs, and challenges across home and school.
2. Observing with an Autistic Lens
When helpful, I observe to find struggles or unmet needs that may not be immediately visible.
3. Building True Understanding
As we identify and meet unmet needs and increase comfort and trust, families have experienced improvements in self-regulation.
4. Creating Lasting Change
Clients have experienced better regulation and a stronger connection between child and caregiver.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is non-behaviorist autism behavior support?
Instead of asking “How can we change this behavior?”, I help you ask “What is this behavior trying to tell us?” We find the source of distress and make accommodations, rather than using sticker charts, time-outs or rewards.
Why not use rewards and time-outs?
As a clinician and parent, I’ve found they can increase distress: children learn to mask, stress builds invisibly, and bigger meltdowns follow. Meeting the underlying need leads to better regulation that lasts.
How does the process work?
I start by speaking with parents to understand your child’s strengths, needs and challenges at home and school. When helpful, I observe, and then we work together to meet unmet needs and build trust.
Who do you work with?
I work in partnership with parents, caregivers, teachers and treatment providers, remotely throughout New York, the USA and worldwide.
Get In Touch
Contact me today to discuss your family’s needs and explore how we can work together to support your child.