Speech - Language Pathologists
Leila Salmons - MA, CCC/SLP
Leila is the owner and clinic director of Therapy Connections. She holds a Master of Science in Communication Disorders from the University of Houston. She has extensive training and experience in providing assessments in English and Spanish to children with a variety of disorders including hearing impaired, learning difficulties, traumatic brain injuries, and voice. She specializes in the treatment of apraxia, dysarthria, language disorders, articulation disorders, autism, and orofacial myofunctional disorders.
Sarah Pesek - MA, CCC/SLP
Sarah holds a Master of Arts degree in Communication Disorders from the University of Houston. She has focused experience with preschool social skills, school-age language and articulation. Sarah uses play-based therapy techniques to support children’s speech-language needs and motivate. She enjoys working with both adults and children with various communication disorders.
Kelly Richter - MS, CCC/SLP
Kelly holds a Bachelor's and Master's degree from Baylor University. She has experience working with preschool and school-aged children in a variety of settings addressing early language development, articulation, literacy and social skills. Kelly also has experience working with children with multiple-involvements and a variety of needs including assistive/alternative communication and sensory integration.
Maggie Wilson - MA, CCC/SLP
Maggie holds a Master of Arts degree in Communication Disorders from the University of Houston and a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from Texas A&M University. She has experience working with toddler, preschool, and school-age children with various disorders including receptive/expressive language, articulation, fluency, literacy, and voice. Maggie also has focused experience using Auditory-Verbal techniques to treat children with speech and language delays secondary to hearing loss.
Elizabeth Alam - MA, CCC/SLP
Elizabeth holds a Bachelor's degree in Biology from the University of Texas at Dallas and a Masters in Communication Disorders from Stephen F. Austin State University. She has experience working with toddler, preschool, and school-age children with various speech and language disorders including receptive/expressive language deficits, articulation, fluency, literacy, and voice using "play-based" therapy techniques. She also enjoys working with adults with dysarthria, dysphagia, apraxia and aphasia to improve communicative and feeding independence.
Yocheved "Chevie" Friedman – SLP
Chevie holds a Master of Science degree in Communication Sciences and disorders from Adelphi University in New York and a Bachelor of Science degree in Speech and Communications from Touro College in New York. She has experience working with preschool and elementary school age children with various disorders such as articulation, fluency, voice, and expressive/receptive language delays. She also has experience working with multiply disabled and autistic children. She has worked with various augmentative communication devices and the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) for the non-verbal population.
Julie Smith- MA, CCC-SLP
Julie holds a Master of Arts degree in Communication Disorders from the University of Houston and a Bachelor of Science degree from The University of Texas at Austin. She has 10 years of experience with preschool and school-age children working on receptive/expressive language (semantics, syntax, and pragmatics), articulation, and fluency skills. Julie uses structured games to interact with, motivate, and help improve and carry over children’s speech and language skills from the therapy room to their everyday lives. She enjoys working with children with to improve functional communication.
Melinda Skoller - CCC-SLP
Melinda has nearly 25 years of experience providing speech and language therapy for children, including early intervention services and learning differences. Her areas of expertise include auditory processing, writing skills, reading comprehension, improving expressive and receptive language, social communication skills, articulation, fluency and listening skills. Melinda is trained in several Lindamood-Bell programs, such as LIPS, Visualizing and Verbalizing, and Seeing Stars. Melinda holds a bachelor's degree in Speech Pathology from Rutgers University in New Jersey and completed her master's degree in Communication Disorders from University of Houston.
Kristen Bollier - MS, CCC-SLP
Kristen holds a Master’s of Science degree in Speech Language Pathology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She has a specialization in traumatic brain injury with an emphasis in school re-entry following brain injury. She also has a specialization in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems. She has experience providing evaluation and treatment for toddlers,preschoolers, and school-age children with various speech and language disorders.
Jade Alexander - MA, CCC-SLP
Jade Alexander holds a Master and Bachelor of Science degree in Speech Language Pathology from Texas Christian University. She has worked as a speech language pathologist in a variety of settings providing evaluation and remediation of speech,receptive/expressive language, fluency, cognition, voice and swallowing disorders to a diversified population. She has also provided group therapy and conducted social groups. Jade believes family plays a vital role in overall improvement and carryover of skills/techniques learned during therapy.
Sophia Garza - SLPA
Sophia received her Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders with minors in Psychology and Business Administration from Texas A&M University - Kingsville in August 2011. She is licensed as an Assistant in Speech Language Pathology by the State of Texas and has started her career here at Therapy Connections. She is enjoying working with children and is gaining experience with different types of childhood disorders. Sophia also
plans on pursuing her master’s degree this fall.
Rita Sanchez - SLPA
Rita received her Bachelor's of Science Degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders with a concentration in Speech Language Pathology in December 2009 from the University of Texas at Austin. She also received a Bachelors of Science in Psychology with a minor is Sociology in 2009. She has acquired over 40 hours of continuing education in various areas including Autism and Asperger's Disorders and Neurodevelopmental Training. She has experience with children of different ages and a wide range of disorders. Currently she works in a school setting as well as in the private practice setting here at Therapy Connections. Rita enjoys traveling and music while spending time with her husband and family.
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