Today we’d like to introduce you to Leila Salmons.
Leila, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I was born in South Texas, the oldest of four daughters. My parents worked hard for everything we had, but they worked even harder to instill the value of education into each of us. Growing up, no matter how tough times became, we were expected to stay focused and excel in school. Those core values and my families commitment to hard work paid off as all of my sisters, including myself, graduated from college and have fearlessly ventured out in our careers.
As the oldest, my parents insisted I stay a closer to home, I attended Texas A&M University in Kingsville and received a degree in Communication Disorders. My degree plan was a natural fit, as I always had a passion for helping children and I quickly developed a fascination for communication and communication development.
After completing my undergraduate degree and inspired by a family member practicing speech pathology, I continued my own path towards becoming a Speech Language Pathologist. I enrolled in the Master’s program at the University of Houston which maintains one of the most respected Communication Disorders programs available.
While attending the Master’s program at U of H, I accepted a position as a speech-language pathology assistant with HISD. If attending school and working full time in a big new city was not scary enough, at my first HISD staff meeting, I was introduced as the new “bilingual” speech therapist assistant. This presented a new challenge. I would soon learn that I, like many Hispanic Americans of my generation, had been a “Silent Learner” of the Spanish language. We grew up around other people speaking Spanish and we learned to understand the language, but we almost never spoke it. Those years in graduate school gave me some special gifts that would eventually result in my successful practice. I learned to make time where there was none, I learned that nothing could stand in my way, and possibly most importantly, I learned how to learn from my patients. All my HISD children were Spanish speakers and I would tell them, I need you to help me speak better Spanish and I’ll teach you speech therapy. After 3 years, I was confidently speaking fluent Spanish and graduated from U of H with my masters in Communication Disorders.
In 2002, I rented a small office space inside my husband’s real estate practice, and Therapy Connections, a pediatric therapy clinic, was born. In addition to my full-time job at HISD, I began seeing clients six days a week at Therapy Connections. There were many long hours, lots of learning about the business of running a therapy clinic, aside from practicing therapy. It was then and still remains my passion. Speech Therapy has given me the opportunity to interact with so many amazing children and to work closely with parents and caretakers who are so eager to learn about speech and language. There is no greater reward than hearing a child speak his/her first word or using a sign or vocalization for the first time to communicate. The joy I see in the eyes of the child and the parents is priceless.
In 2007, I was appointed by Governor Rick Perry to the State Board of Examiners of Speech Pathology and Audiology for the state of Texas. I served for eight years and this experience strengthened and enriched the values that have become the cornerstone of our practice.
Therapy Connections continues to grow today and we now see patients in multiple locations and is a partner with the Spring Branch Family Development Center, a non-profit providing health services and education to the community. Our amazing staff of therapists and administrators provide love and therapy to over 200 patients each week. In October of 2017, we celebrated our 15th year and were blessed to have some of our very first patients join us at the celebration.
Therapy Connections has become a fixture in the Houston community and a place that Doctors refer and families turn to for the guidance, experience, compassion, and results that matter most.
Has it been a smooth road?
One of the reasons that I think Therapy Connections has been so successful is due to a culture of reminding ourselves how lucky we are to get to help such amazing and talented children.
Speech and related therapy practices are being presented with constant challenges from the insurance and billing sectors and these challenges can be very stressful to parents trying to navigate care for their loved ones. I am acutely aware of these fears and complexities being a mother of three beautiful daughters myself.
I hope that being able to walk in the shoes of the moms and dads that need our services has given everyone at Therapy Connections the compassion, understanding and special drive to always go the extra mile no matter what obstacles are on the road. After all, when the light at the end of the road is coming from the smile of a happy confident child, what could be more worth it.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Therapy Connections – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Therapy Connections is a pediatric clinic that provides speech therapy focusing on language development, articulation disorders, fluency disorders, tongue thrust, and voice disorders. In addition to our Bellaire and Spring Branch locations, we provide therapy at Applied Behavior Analysis clinics throughout the Houston area. We also provide therapy at local Montessori schools, private schools, and daycares. Therapy Connections bilingual therapist practice in English and Spanish. We are proud of the relationships we build. We consider our practice more than just therapist and patients. We are an ever growing family of friends, mentors and success stories. We want you to come to learn what’s next for your family and become part of our family.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I love the diversity in Houston. I enjoy living in a place where I can utilize my Spanish skills and make a difference for families in the community. I am constantly learning about other cultures at work, I find it very interesting.
Things that limit me from getting around in the city easily, such as traffic and construction can be frustrating. However, I understand it is part of living in a large city.
Contact Info:
- Address: 4830 Chestnut
- Website: www.therapyconnectionspc.com
- Phone: 713-839-8255
- Email: salmons@therapyconnectionspc.com
Image Credit:
Debbie Porter Photography
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