Bayou City Speech & Language is a small boutique pediatric speech pathology practice providing individualized, holistic, research-based treatment with a child-centered focus, and an advocate-based approach.

We see HOPE and PROMISE in every child!

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Specialties

ASD
ADHD
Speech
Literacy

Julie Roberts

As Featured in VoyageHouston Magazine
Julie Roberts

Mission Statement & Philosophy

My small boutique practice in Houston, Texas allows me to provide individualized, holistic, research-based treatment with a child-centered focus, and an advocate-based approach. The clinic's mission is to develop and grow each child's functional communication skills to their fullest potential in order to build communication independence in the natural environment, and to sustain positive relationships within family, school and community environments.

Mission Pledge

  • I will conduct an in-depth and thorough initial total communication assessment in order to understand your child's unique strengths and target realistic, attainable and measurable communication goals. I will take into account your personal goals and dreams for your child when developing a therapy program for them.
  • I will use evidence-based strategies and engaging activities that encourage your child to communicate, while teaching you how to carry over these communication strategies into your child's natural environment.
  • I will practice research-based treatment and use evidence-based tools and materials.
  • I will be a resource and an advocate for you and your child, through caregiver education and individualized training. I highly encourage you to be in each therapy session where I will teach you facilitation and carry-over skills for faster language improvement.
  • I will stay current in the latest language development research, Autism research, AAC research, and Speech-Language Pathology research by continuing to follow scientific developments in these fields. Furthermore, I will acquire CEUs yearly in the areas I practice.
  • While treating your child's speech and language, I will use a holistic approach, looking at the whole child; I will be aware of child's sensory system, including current limitations, their play development, their pragmatic skills and emotional development, their physical abilities and limitations, their cognitive skills, their diet and nutrition, along with facilitating their functional communication development.
  • I will be ethical in all interactions with you and your child, including providing clear and factual assessment, therapy and progress documentation, and following all ASHA, Texas and Federal therapy ethics, regulations and requirements.

Julie's Bio

Hi, I'm Julie Roberts. I'm so happy that you were called to visit my site!

Over the last 17 years as a pediatric speech-language pathologist, in partnership with parents and caregivers, I've helped to change the lives of hundreds of Houston's children and their families through transformation of each child's communication, using research-based methods and evidence-based treatment practices. It's with this experience that I founded Bayou City Speech & Language, and The StoryBook Changes!™, platforms which provide children, parents and caregivers with the specialized therapy, resources, tools, knowledge, and inspiration to increase their child's functional communication abilities, while living more independent and fulfilling lives. I believe that it is essential that therapy take place in a positive, fun and child-centered environment. I believe that my partnership with parents, and family involvement are key to successful therapy outcomes.

Julie is a native Texan and has lived in Houston since 1999. After growing up in Simi Valley, California, she returned to Texas in 1990. Julie received her undergraduate degree from the University of Texas, Arlington. She received her Master of Science in Communication Disorders from the University of Texas, Dallas, The Callier Center for Communication Disorders. She is nationally certified and received her Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), and is licensed to practice speech-language pathology within the State of Texas since 1999. Julie has presented at the Texas Speech and Hearing Association conference as a member of her graduate research team, whose work is published in Discourse Processes, 30(3), 265-283, © 2000.

Along with owning Bayou City Speech & Language, Julie is the creator and President of The StoryBook Changes!™, an educational company which publishes a series of interactive children's books that come with parent guides designed to support parents in increasing language facilitation in the child's natural environment. She has a passion for helping families implement and improve total social and functional communication, and interaction with their children. Julie sees hope and promise in every child!

Who We Help

Bayou City Speech & Language is a pediatric private practice specializing in children and adolescents ages 6 months - 16 years. Julie A. Roberts, M.S., CCC-SLP is passionate about empowering children and adolescents to advance their functional communication, verbal and written language ability, auditory comprehension, social-emotional learning and pragmatic communication, and executive functioning to their fullest potential, in order to build communication independence, and to sustain positive relationships within family, school and community environments long after each session concludes. She has been practicing for over 17 years. Julie see hope and promise in every child!

Bayou City Speech & Language specializes in providing evaluations and speech therapy to children and adolescents ages 6 months through 16 years, including those with:

  • Autism Spectrum Disorder; Asperger's
  • Pervasive Developmental Disorder
  • Specific Language Impairment
  • Language-based learning disabilities
  • Language and/or auditory processing deficits
  • Executive function deficits secondary to ADD / ADHD, High Functioning Autism and related disorders
  • Apraxia of speech
  • Social skills, social-emotional learning, and pragmatic language difficulties
  • Intellectual Disabilities
  • Down Syndrome and other syndromes
  • Writing and literacy weaknesses

Julie uses evidence-based strategies and proven programs from leading experts such as Michelle Garcia Winner's "Social Thinking"™ products, as well as the latest, research-grounded Speech-Language Pathology assessment instruments, products, software and materials. Julie brings 17 years of hands-on experience in providing therapeutic treatment to children and adolescents who experience verbal and written speech and language delays, social-emotional learning and pragmatic language deficits, and / or executive function deficits.

Autism Spectrum Disorder

Puzzle

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a group of conditions classified as neurodevelopmental disorders. Under the spectrum, the specific disorders catalogued encompass a variety of symptoms, abilities and debilities.

Children and Adolescents with ASD often have:

  • Repetitive behaviors, as well as limited interests or activities
  • Differences in social communication abilities and social interaction with others, which typically are recognized within the first two years of life
  • Differences that hinder the individual's ability to function socially, at school or work, or in other areas of life

What is the difference between Asperger's syndrome and ASD?

Before 2013, Asperger's syndrome and Autistic Disorder were diagnosed as distinct classifications. However, in 2013, with the latest publication of the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), it redefined the autism spectrum disorders to encompass the previously separate diagnoses of autism, Asperger syndrome, pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS), and childhood disintegrative disorder under one Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) umbrella.

ASD Speech Therapy and Executive Functioning Treatment

Bayou City Speech & Language can help your child or adolescent with ASD increase and enhance their cognitive skills, communication abilities, and social-emotional growth.

Bayou City Speech & Language practices a developmental social-pragmatic model (DSP) during therapy with our clients who have ASD. DSP is an evidence-based developmental intervention which focuses on initiation and spontaneity in communication, and following the child's focus of attention and motivations. We build on your child's current communicative repertoire, even if it is unconventional, and we use natural activities and events to shape and develop their future communication skills.

Attention-Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder

Brain

ADHD is a disorder that makes it difficult for children or adolescents to pay attention and control impulsive behaviors. Children and adolescents with ADHD struggle with "Executive Function Skills" including difficulties with:

  • Attention, Concentration, Memory
  • Metacognition
  • Yelling out answers without being called on, interrupting the speaker, talking too much, and speaking in a loud volume
  • Making tangential comments in conversation, or struggling to organize thoughts
  • Listening comprehension, missing details in both conversation and stories
  • Applying new information learned from previous mistakes
  • Planning, organizing, and completing school work, homework and projects on time
  • Self-regulation of behavior, and monitoring and modifying behavior to fit different situations and settings
  • Explaining or retelling a story in verbal or written form, centering on a topic and chaining a sequence of events together
  • Discussing stories and the points of view of various characters in verbal or written form
  • Interpreting the emotional meaning of words
  • Understanding puns, riddles, sarcasm and other non-literal uses of words, and interpreting the emotional meaning of words
  • Understanding other points of view
  • Pragmatic Language/social-emotional skills

What is the difference between ADD and ADHD?

The terms ADD and ADHD are interchangeable, although the current correct medical terminology is ADHD or Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder.

With ADHD, the ability to comprehend appropriate social interaction, recognize nonverbal communication cues, and understand basic rules of communication exchange, such as to "wait your turn to reply," are generally intact. Due to the student's distractibility, impulsiveness or other executive function impairments secondary to their ADHD, the child or adolescent may fail to follow those same rules at any particular moment, or even notice social cues at all. Additionally, a student with Executive Functioning difficulties might be a fluent reader, but at the same time struggle with capturing the main point of each paragraph, the running themes in the book, or summarizing what they have just read either verbally or in written form. Writing requires the ability to organize thoughts into a narrative, presume what information the intended audience needs to know, maintain the topic, and write papers to a specified topic and length.

ADHD Speech Therapy and Executive Functioning Treatment

Bayou City Speech & Language can help your child or adolescent learn to compensate for their Executive Function and Pragmatic Language difficulties, and communicate verbally and in written form more effectively. A comprehensive evaluation of each child or adolescent’s speech and language is crucial to developing a customized treatment plan. Speech language treatment will target individualized goals necessary for improved social interaction and academic success.

Speech & Language

Communication

Speech

A speech disorder is present when a child or adolescent has difficulty producing specific phonemes correctly or fluently past the expected age of acquisition. Speech sound disorders include problems with articulation (making sounds) and phonological processes (sound patterns). Children and adolescents may also have voice disorders (hoarseness or loss of voice), or may struggle with dysfluency.

Receptive and Expressive Language

Language disorders are present when a child or adolescent has difficulty comprehending language in written or verbal form (receptive), or with sharing thoughts, ideas, and feelings in words and written form (expressive). Language disorders may involve spoken or written communication, and may involve the form (phonology, morphology, syntax), content (semantics), and / or use (pragmatics) of language in functional and socially appropriate ways.

Pragmatic / Social Language

Social communication disorders are present when a child or adolescent struggles with the social use of verbal and nonverbal communication. These disorders may include weaknesses in communicating for social purposes (e.g., greeting, commenting, asking questions), adapting their communication in ways to suit the listener and setting, and following social rules for conversation and story-telling. All individuals with autism spectrum disorder have social-emotional communication problems. Social communication disorders are often also present in individuals with other conditions, such as ADHD, learning disabilities and Down Syndrome and other syndromes.

Cognitive Communication

Children and adolescents who have Executive Function disorder or other cognitive-communication disorders demonstrate limitations in their abilities for organizing thoughts, time and tasks, paying attention, remembering, planning and problem-solving. Children and teens with autism and / or ADHD often struggle with executive function matters.

Speech and Language Therapy, Social Language and Cognitive Communication

Bayou City Speech & Language can help your child or adolescent to increase and enhance their cognitive skills, spoken and written communication abilities, and social-emotional growth through 1:1 individualized therapy sessions, executive functioning treatment, and in our group enrichment classes. We also work with children who are non-verbal to help them to increase functional communication to their highest potential. A comprehensive evaluation of each child or adolescent's speech and language is crucial to developing a customized treatment plan. Each plan will target individualized goals necessary for improved social interaction and academic success.

Literacy

Books

Literacy is a child or adolescent's ability to read, write, and speak in their native language, and compute and solve problems at levels of proficiency necessary to function in school, the community and in society. Speech, language and literacy are closely intertwined.

Children and adolescents with persistent language disorder and / or developmental disorder such as autism are more likely than their peers to wrestle with literacy development due to poor phonological processing ability, inadequate semantic word and world knowledge, impaired oral comprehension skills, difficulties with auditory processing or short-term memory, and retrieval of words. A student with Executive Function Disorder secondary to ADD / ADHD or autism might have difficulty organizing information before storing it in memory, or difficulty organizing information that is retrieved from memory. The student with executive functioning deficits might fluently read a chapter but not retain what he has read. The student might know the material but be unable to write an answer or start a paper because he cannot organize his thoughts.

Speech and Language Therapy and Literacy

Bayou City Speech & Language can increase and enhance your child or adolescent's literacy abilities in reading and writing. A comprehensive evaluation of each child or adolescent's Listening Comprehension, Oral Expression, Reading Comprehension, and Written Expression is crucial to developing a customized treatment plan for improved academic success. Determined by the assessment results, therapy may include individualized intervention with:

Reading:

  • Phonemic awareness
  • Decoding text
  • Understanding and using new vocabulary
  • Literal comprehension of text
  • Figurative comprehension of text
  • Making higher-level inferences
  • Predicting and verifying
  • Drawing on contextual clues and background knowledge
  • Study and learning from text
  • Sequence ideas and summarizing
  • Attention, memory, problem solving

Writing:

  • Structured sentences, paragraphs, essays
  • Spelling rules, sentence structures, use of punctuation, and syntax
  • Word choice, complexity, style, discourse structure
  • Planning: setting goals, generating and organizing ideas before starting to write
  • Drafting, reflecting, revising, and editing
  • Clarity and organization
  • Attention, memory, sequencing, problem solving
  • Clear strategy development, and focused procedures to approach the metacognitive nature of essay writing
  • Writing task initiation, task persistence

Assessments

A Comprehensive Speech-Language Evaluation is an assessment of your child's total and independent social-emotional communication, executive functioning, verbal and written language comprehension and use.

Direct, one-on-one testing, and analysis of the results will determine the presence and severity of a speech-language delay or disorder, and if so, how it may be affecting your child's functioning in their home, their school, or in their community. This testing is highly individualized, and the speech and language areas assessed will include the following: developmental language skills: oral language processing skills of comprehension, articulation (if warranted), narrative language, verbal expression across four categories: Lexical/Semantic, Syntactic, Supralinguistic, and Pragmatic (social) language.

Bayou City Speech & Language provides Independent Educational Evaluations

Federal regulations direct school districts to inform parents of their right to obtain an IEE, where they may obtain an IEE and the agency criteria applicable to the IEE. 34 C.F.R §300.502(a)(2). Consideration of parentally obtained evaluations by the IEP team is not discretionary, it is mandatory. 34 C.F.R. 300.503(c). "If the parent obtains an independent educational evaluation at private expense, the results of the evaluation (1) Must be considered by the public agency in any decision made with respect to the provision of a [free appropriate public education] to the child." Obtaining an IEE does not mean that the school district must accept the findings or recommendations in the IEE. However, it does mean that the IEP team must review the IEE and discuss it as appropriate.

An IEE will include an in-depth review of all previous school records, therapy records, therapy services provided in the educational setting, accommodations provided and review of educational setting and appropriateness. The written report will include recommendations for measurable and realistic Speech Therapy IEP goals, recommendations for classroom accommodations, and recommendations for Speech-Language Pathology services in the educational setting and in the private setting. Additional consultation fees will be charged for onsite attendance and avocation at the patient's ARD/IEP meeting, per hour.

How may I schedule an evaluation?

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FAQs

Following testing, I will score the tests, analyze the results, review previous records, and write an in-depth and detailed written report. You will receive a thorough evaluation report, including the following sections:

  1. History: Medical, social, developmental, and educational components
  2. Current Functional Status: A summary of current functioning as observed and reported by the family (from the history forms sent to you before the evaluation)
  3. Test Results: Charts illustrating test results, and detailed narratives describing the child's performance on each test.
  4. Behavioral Observations noted during the testing session(s)
  5. Diagnostic Impressions: Summarizing the analysis of the findings.
  6. Prognosis: Estimate of the child's potential for making gains
  7. Estimated Frequency & Duration of Treatment: Estimate of the amount of therapy needed to meet the goals
  8. Functional Goals and Treatment Plan: a written plan of action, outlining the areas in need of treatment, along with realistic and measurable goals. If your child is in the public-school system, goals will be written that are appropriate to the IEP format.
  9. Recommendations for related services, as needed.
  10. Proposed Educational Accommodations as appropriate in your child's educational setting

Generating this report will take several hours; the report will be available in 1 to 2 weeks following the assessment. After the testing is complete and the results are evaluated, I will schedule a follow-up results consultation. At the consultation, I will discuss the results of your child's Speech and Language evaluation and provide you with therapy and/or program recommendations, as needed.

Depending on the age of your child, it may take up to 1-3 hours to complete the various assessments. Any additional information you would like to bring to the assessment, such as your child's IEP or the most current school or outside evaluation, is encouraged. I prefer that the parent or caregiver not remain in the room when testing is being administered because I have found that it can be distracting for the child, and sometimes the parent/caregiver subconsciously feels compelled to "help" the child or "explain" a child's answers, all of which can sway, or invalidate, the results. It is important to remember that testing and therapy have two very different objectives. During testing, I am probing for a ceiling, or limit, on your child's ability in specific areas. For example, a child might have to respond incorrectly to five questions in a row before the examiner stops asking questions and moves on to the next test. Testing must be conducted in a controlled environment, with no "coaching" beyond the practice items from the test administrator, in order to ensure accurate, valid results. I can't tell a child, for example, if the response is correct or not. I also cannot guide the child towards the correct response. It is critical that your child respond to all test questions from their own knowledge and skill base so that I can determine the areas of need.

The evaluation will be recorded in a formal report. After our results meeting, you then are free to distribute it to any advocates, school staff, other team members, and medical professionals, as is appropriate for your child's needs.

If requested, a Team Meeting (such as an ARD/IEP meeting) may be scheduled, to discuss the treatment plan with other treating professionals. There will be an additional charge for this type of meeting.

Assessment results can be shared with school speech-language pathologists, at IEP team meeting for treatment planning and for developing optimal educational plans.

Professional Fees

Therapy

Individualized Therapy Services at Bayou City Speech & Language

Julie specializes in providing speech and language therapy to children ages 6 months through 16 years (other ages up through high school are accepted on a case-by-case basis), including those diagnosed on the Autism spectrum, with pervasive developmental disorder, intellectual disabilities, developmental language delays, language-based learning disabilities, language and/or auditory processing deficits, executive function deficits, Apraxia of speech, phonological disorders, social-emotional learning, pragmatic disorders, and other syndromes.

Individualized speech therapy services are provided in sessions of 1:1 direct therapy, with additional time for questions, homework directions, and follow up. Group classes are also provided for specific needs. Please see Group Classes for more information. During individualized 1:1 therapy sessions, the parent or caregiver is encouraged to be in the room with the therapist and your child during sessions, when possible, in order to promote carry-over into the child's environment. Julie has found that children progress faster and retention is higher when using this type of therapy model.

Therapy services available for Functional and Educational Language Development, Comprehension and Use:

  • Autism, Asperger's, Pervasive Developmental Disorder
  • Social-Emotional Learning/Pragmatic Language Skills: Difficulty with using appropriate behavior and language within social situations, recognizing and following indirect requests, and reading facial expressions.
  • Executive Functioning: Difficulty with thinking skills and processing skills such as remembering homework assignments, organization, and problem solving
  • Language comprehension deficits–understanding verbal directions in the home, community and classroom
  • Language expression deficits–production of syntactically and semantically appropriate verbal communication in the home, community and classroom
  • Written Language: comprehension of written materials and development of written expression
  • Memory Deficits: Word finding difficulties, sequencing issues
  • Down Syndrome and other syndromes
  • Language based Intellectual Disabilities
  • Difficulty with pre-language skills, including making eye contact or facial expressions, gesturing, babbling, or imitating sounds in back and forth interactions.
  • Global and functional use of Language–semantic, syntactical and pragmatic

Therapy services for Articulation and/or Phonological Disorders:

Many typically developing young children sound like they are making a "w" sound for an "r" sound (e.g., "wabbit" for "rabbit") or may leave sounds out of words, such as "nana" for "banana." This type of speech production is normal in typically developing children. However, the child may have an articulation disorder if these errors continue past the expected age for correct production.

Articulation Milestones

Professional Fees

Request More Information

(713) 628-5160

info@bayoucityslp.com

Executive Function Assessments and Therapy

A speech-language pathologist plays a meaningful role in the identification, assessment and treatment of executive functioning delays, secondary to the higher-level metacognition and language based needs of the child or adolescent. While executive functioning skills impact every aspect of child or adolescent's life, a strong intervention plan can immediately begin improving the quality of life for students who are struggling with successful executive functioning. We want to help your child reach their maximum potential.

When a child or adolescent struggles with executive function, they may have difficulty with:

  • Keeping track of time during school work and projects
  • Making plans and following through
  • Completing tasks, school work, homework and projects on time
  • Multitasking
  • Applying previously learned information to solve problems
  • Analyzing ideas
  • Knowing when and how to seek help, or more information when they are stuck

Bayou City Speech & Language offers

  • Executive Function evaluations for children and adolescents ages 5-16 with ADHD, High Functioning Autism and related disorders, in conjunction with a comprehensive speech and language evaluation.
  • Executive Function speech therapy services for children and adolescents ages 5-16 with ADHD, High Functioning Autism and related disorders.

Based on individual needs, cumulative sessions will focus on refining relationships with peers, family, teachers and coaches, increasing strategic planning, improving material and project organization, time management, decision making, and amplified personal self-regulation, leading to greater academic achievement and success.

Executive Function in the News

Executive Function Disorder, Explained!

ADDitude Magazine

by Larry Silver, M.D.

A child or an adult with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) might be hyperactive, inattentive, and / or impulsive. Clinicians have always understood hyperactivity and impulsivity. The understanding of inattention, though, has shifted from primarily "the inability to stay on task" to a broader concept called executive function disorder (EFD), which involves a pattern of chronic difficulties in executing daily tasks.

Read more at additudemag.com

The Testing Ground for Executive Functions? Sixth Grade

ADDitude Magazine

by Marcia Eckerd, Stephen Rudin

Middle school is hell for many kids. Aside from social struggles, many begin to miss deadlines, lose assignments, and drop balls as executive function deficits come to light. Earty detection and intervention, though, can make a huge difference.

Read more at additudemag.com

What's the Difference Between Executive Functioning Issues and ADHD?

Understood.org

by Child Mind Institute, Understood Founding Partner

If your child has an ADHD diagnosis, is being evaluated for ADHD, or even if you're just doing research on the disorder, you might also hear that she could have problems with executive functioning. This can be confusing! They seem to be two different ways of describing the difficulties your child is having.

Simply put, executive functions are self-regulating skills. We all use them every day to do things like plan ahead, stay organized, solve problems and focus on what's important. These are some of the same things kids with ADHD have trouble doing. So is there a difference between executive functioning issues and ADHD? And if so, what is it?

Read more at understood.org

Help Your Child Be the CEO Of His Brain

ADDitude Magazine

by Jerome Schultz, Ph.D.

Efficient executive functioning is critical to all human behaviors. Thousands of articles and books have been written about this set of brain-based skills. Noted EF/ADHD expert Thomas Brown, Ph.D., likens executive functioning to being the conductor of an orchestra. Researchers at the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University have compared EF to the air-traffic control system in a busy airport. Brain scientists agree that strong working memory, self-control, or self-regulation, and the ability to maintain and shift attention are the foundation upon which academic and social success is built. Well-developed executive functioning skills unlock human potential; deficits in EF prevent us from living up to our personal best.

Read more at additudemag.com

7 Executive Function Deficits Tied to ADHD

ADDitude Magazine

by Jerome Schultz, Ph.D.

Dr. Russell Barkley on what parents need to know about the executive function challenges that can start as early as age 2 — and serve as early warning signs of ADHD in children.

There's a lot of confusion around "executive function" — and how it relates to ADHD. Is ADHD an executive function disorder? Is every executive function disorder also ADHD? The answers hinge on what we mean by "executive functions" — and how they relate to self-regulation.

Traditionally, the term "executive functioning" has been used extensively in neuropsychology, clinical psychology, and psychiatry. In recent years, however, it's spread into the broader field of general psychology and into education, where it's often incorporated into teaching strategies and classroom accommodations.

Broadly speaking, executive function refers to the cognitive or mental abilities that people need to actively pursue goals. In other words, it's about how we behave toward our future goals and what mental abilities we need to accomplish them.

Read more at additudemag.com

Group Classes

Pragmatic Language Groups

Small groups of three to four school aged children or adolescents, assembled by age and ability, will model, practice and absorb new social-emotional learning alongside peers in weekly sessions. Your child will learn and practice using proven strategies from Michelle Garcia Winner's "Social Thinking" program, in a developmentally appropriate manner, including:

  • Awareness of verbal and nonverbal social cues
  • Conversation and turn-taking
  • interjecting yourself into a conversation
  • Maintaining group topic of conversation
  • Use of politeness markers
  • Sharing and working together
  • Transitioning into a new activity
  • Perspective-taking
  • Abstract and inferential thinking
  • How to create and foster friendships
  • Emotional regulation
  • Taking leave from a conversation or activity

Purposeful Play Clusters

A "Purposeful Play" Cluster brings together preschoolers of similar ages and abilities for weekly group language enrichment sessions aimed at improving play and early receptive and expressive vocabulary skills. The small groups are geared for preschool children from 36 months through pre-Kindergarten who have at least near average cognitive skills, and some awareness of others around them. Children may have social cognitive deficits as a result of Autism, Asperger's Syndrome, ADD, ADHD, NLD, SLI, PDD-NOS, sensory regulatory disorders, Down Syndrome, speech and language disorders or related diagnoses.

The focus of each cluster is centered around purposeful play in a small group setting (up to 4 children per group), led by an ASHA certified Speech-Language Pathologist, to facilitate language development in a fun and play-based setting. Each cluster encourages vocabulary building and language learning through use of evidence-based and proven strategies, all while having fun, and fostering new friendships.

Events and Presentations

We offer classes, workshops and presentations for parents of clients, parent support groups, and interested audiences on a variety of themes centered around autism, executive function, and speech and language delays and disorders. We bring in outside expert speakers to the office, as well. Participants will have the opportunity to learn the latest research, and receive helpful resources and professional advice. I work with people who love children with communication delays, to help them move forward, armed with the latest research, resources, and evidence-based language facilitation strategies so that the child/children in their life can reach their full potential and their communication goals, and get them on the path to the future they deserve.

Books

The StoryBook Changes!™

Speech-language therapy is beneficial for children who exhibit:

  • Difficulty communicating wants/needs effectively
  • Vocabulary delayed as compared with peers
  • Challenges when following auditory directions
  • Difficulty producing intelligible speech
  • Difficulty asking and answering questions
  • Developmental delays that inhibit speech and language development
  • Ineffective pragmatic and social-emotional learning

Beautiful, exciting children's picture books written by an experienced, licensed and ASHA certified speech-language pathologist, developed for parents and caregivers, to use with children who have language delays.

The StoryBook Changes!™

As their child's speech pathologist, parents and other caregivers are constantly asking me to suggest materials that they can use with their child in the home to support concepts developed in therapy sessions. Loving, concerned parents and caregivers are desperately searching for resources to supplement their child's speech-language therapy, and more importantly, be involved with helping their child become empowered through their increased functional communication abilities. In order to help meet their needs, I have written The StoryBook Changes!™ series, a powerful tool designed to do just this.

Inspired by children with language delays; created for the adults who love them.

Julie A. Roberts, M.S., CCC-SLP

I was inspired to write The StoryBook Changes!™ series after providing treatment for over 17 years to children who have language delays secondary to Autism, Down Syndrome, and other speech and language delays.

Helpful for children with:

  • Typically developing children in order to facilitate language development
  • Children on the Autism spectrum and with Pervasive Developmental Disorder
  • Children with developmental speech and language delays
  • Children with intellectual disabilities
  • Children with non-verbal and low-verbal communication skills
  • Children with intellectual disabilities
  • Children with Apraxia
  • Children with Down syndrome and other syndromes

Resources

Success Stories

My daughter Ava has high functioning autism. I had met several therapists and had yet to have Ava assessed by any of them. I made an appointment on July 16, 2007 with Julie Roberts. Immediately I noticed that Ava's demeanor was different from the other introductions to the therapists. Julie was the first therapist to actually get down on her knees at Ava's level and say hello. At the other interviews, Ava hid her face and clenched my legs or climbed in my arms and would not look at them. Ava stood in front of her and actually said hello but she did not have eye contact. Julie showed me how she approached therapy at that moment. She asked Ava to look at her eyes. Ava continued to look away. Then Julie gently pulled Ava's chin facing her and got close to her face. Then she told Ava what pretty eyes she had (Ava loves compliments) and how important it was to look at people when she was talking to them so they could always see her pretty eyes. Seeing her gestures and patience, it made me think of how I spoke to her. Ava actually looked Julie in the eyes, smiled, and said hello again.

Julie had a nurturing yet assertive presence. I was impressed. I could tell right away that she was dedicated to her profession and cared deeply. Julie sat with me after that and asked what had brought me to seek a therapist for Ava. I told her my story and she had empathy and understanding for my struggles and how helpless I had felt with my inability to find the right answers and the course of action to take. She asked me what my goals were for Ava. I told her how I wanted to see some sort of progress and change for my daughter. Whatever therapy Ava had received or the professional opinions I had been given, there was little if any improvement with her language delays. Julie listened intently and then told me that no matter what she concludes from the assessment, that she would be able to help Ava improve. She was assertive, honest, and sincere and there was a trust I felt for the first time in a long time. I had finally found the perfect person for my daughter! No parent wants to hear that something is wrong with their child, especially without being told what can be done to make it right. I wanted to hear what I could do and how therapy could help Ava communicate like all the children her age.

After the assessment Julie sat with me and gave me her honest opinion of Ava's learning disability. With a positive approach, and Julie's forward thinking, her explanation on how best to approach her discoveries of Ava's weakness with communication gave me hope and a sense of relief. Because of her constant research, Julie uses the most progressive therapy methods, and purchases tools for sessions that will achieve maximum results from her therapy. I felt I could trust to her to lead me in the right direction and make a difference to better Ava and her quality of life. After all the searching, I finally had someone in front of me with an education, experience and most importantly a course of action. Ava had lost so much precious time and I did not want to waste a second more. This was exactly what I wanted to hear.

I asked her what I could do to expedite her treatment. It was crucial to work on Ava's weaknesses that would be identified from the two sessions per week, and that she would give me a list of what to work on after each session. It was most important to be consistent with Ava's attendance of therapy. Julie explained there that without regular and consistent treatment, Ava would never achieve what she wanted for her clients. She also said that there are so many children who also need speech therapy, there was a waiting list for assessment. She explained that her time would be most helpful to a child with regular and timely attendance. I loved hearing that. She was serious about her time, and was distributing it to make the most improvement possible for her clients. Julie is a no nonsense gal.

For over a year, I have been to therapy twice a week every week with the exception of a family illness, car trouble, or Hurricane Ike. What following Julie's advice has done for my daughter has been life changing. Not only has Julie helped my daughter and exceeded my expectations of rapid progress, she bettered life for my entire family and how we function together. I am so truly grateful for the opportunity to have Julie help Ava. I have never respected or admired a person more. She has done for Ava what I could not. She turned the light on in Ava, when I could only make it flicker. Because we love to come see Miss Julie, it is bittersweet for me to say that, after such great success with Ava, my child's therapy will be ending soon, Julie predicts that Ava will no longer need therapy, because she will have caught up with her peers within the upcoming year.

Monica Djokic

Over a year ago, I went searching for a speech therapist and found my hero. If you are searching for a way to help provide your child with a better quality of life via speech and language therapy, I implore you to consider meeting Julie A. Roberts. Julie's therapy has improved my daughters' lives, as well as my family as whole. I do not know how I could have ever made it through this past year without Julie in our lives. She is an amazing, dedicated and devoted person to helping children. I am proud to know her and call her my friend.

Olivia had ear infections for 3 months straight & in March of 2007, she had her first set of tubes. I had noticed her speech sounding muffled after surgery. One tube came out and infections came back so in May of 2007 Olivia had her second set of tubes. The ENT said it was due to possible hearing loss during the chronic ear infections and the surgeries it most likely would go away after the new set of tubes. Julie and I noticed she still had a muffled sound to her words and time, and several hearing tests there was little improvement. I had Julie provide an assessment and decide a course of action for therapy. Olivia began therapy in October of 2007 and has shown great improvement.

Monica Djokic

My four and a half year old daughter Isabella was first diagnosed with Autism at two years of age. We started coming to see Julie Roberts when Isabella was three. At the time, Isabella had little spontaneous speech and most of what she said was echolalia. We started coming for two sessions a week and now at four and half, she is speaking in clear, full sentences. Recently we visited several people who hadn't seen Isabella in a while, and they all commented on how great she was doing and how impressed they were with her speech. I told them that it was all due to the hard work of Isabella and Ms. Julie. Ms. Julie really pushes Isabella to succeed and grow beyond herself. We couldn't be more proud of Isabella's progress. She is in a typical mother's day out school program, making friends, communicating with her teachers and being an active part of her class. We are so pleased!

Nancy Novelli

Ms. Julie has been working with my 5 year old son Jeremiah for a year now and we've seen tremendous improvement in his communication. Within the first five minutes of meeting with Jeremiah she realized he was exhibiting signs of Autism and encouraged us to get him tested. We later discovered that Jeremiah did have Autism Spectrum Disorder, specifically Pervasive Developmental Disorder. We are thankful to Ms. Julie for her help in getting Jeremiah diagnosed and on the right track to improvement. His vocabulary has improved significantly over the past year. We are able to understand Jeremiah better and he can now express his needs to us verbally. Thanks Ms. Julie for all your help.

Karen Steen, RN, BSN, MBA

My son couldn't articulate his "r" sounds, but since it didn't affect his performance in class, his need for speech therapy was never addressed. After only eight sessions with Julie he sounds like a different person. With the one-on-one lessons he soared through his word drills and completed his therapy much quicker than any of us had anticipated. He's incorporating what he learned into his everyday speech, catching his mistakes and speaking much more clearly. I am so proud of him and so grateful to Julie for giving him the information and tools he needed to overcome this obstacle.

Dorinda W.

My son started therapy on December 2008. Two weeks later, we were already seeing results. Not only my family, but the school teacher as well. It's been six months, that my son has been in therapy and we see major improvements. That without the help of Bayou City Speech & Language, it would have been impossible. My son went from saying a few words, to making complete sentences.

Kleey Soto

Contact

For free consultation, please call (713) 628-5160, or fill out the following form.

Click the following links to schedule an appointment for an Evaluation or a Group Class.

Professional Fees

How is payment made for services?

Bayou City Speech & Language is an out of network provider. We accept MasterCard, Visa and HSA cards.

Will insurance reimburse me for an evaluation and therapy services?

We are considered an out-of-network provider: you pay the clinic directly and then you will submit a Superbill for paid services to your insurance company for reimbursement.

I have seen all outcomes regarding insurance reimbursement, from 80 - 90% reimbursement, to a full denial of payment. This depends on your insurance company and your specific benefits plan. My report will include any related medical information, including diagnosis and coding, to support the claim. Every insurance policy is different, so you will need to check the specific terms of yours. If you have speech-language pathology coverage, be sure you understand possible restrictions such as the number of sessions per calendar year, frequency and duration of services allowable, and coverage only for specific diagnostic codes that may be applicable under your policy. You also need to be aware of deductibles and percentage of coverage. Under some policies, a medical necessity, as evidenced by a note from your physician, is required. PPO, HMO and Point of Service plans may or may not permit you to choose your own provider.

Insurance Tools

Health Savings Accounts: Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Coverage [PDF] – Learn how you can get speech, language, and hearing services covered through a Health Savings Account

Making Sense of your Health Insurance Plan [PDF] – Use this as a quick guide to understanding your health insurance

Thank You

Thank you for contacting me, I will respond to your inquiry as soon as possible.

If you have requested a checklist, it will be emailed within 24 hours.

Contact

For free consultation, please call (713) 628-5160, or fill out the following form.

Click the following links to schedule an appointment for an Evaluation or a Group Class.

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