Owner/Clinical Director
Olga Utley-Rodriguez MS, CCC-SLP
NPI 1881331130
email: Olga@UtleySpeechTherapy.com
phone: 210-570-7272
fax: 210-229-8909
UTLEY Speech Therapy
413 Madrid Ste. # 2, Castroville, TX 78009
in the BACK of the Castroville Professional Building
Our front door faces LORENZO St.
Monday-Friday 11 AM to 5 PM
by appointment only
Insurances We Accept
TriWest SELECT: No referral needed
TriWest PRIME-requires a referral to UTLEY Speech Therapy
Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS TX)
Cigna
Superior Medicaid
Community First Medicaid
Private Pay is available if we are out of network.
Good Faith Estimates are available for private payment.
Superbills are available for possible reimbursement.
What is a Superbill?
A superbill is a document made for insurance companies that lists the services a therapist (or other health care provider) administered during a client’s session. It is like a receipt for your visit to the speech therapy office, but superbills contain important information, like diagnosis and treatment codes. The Superbill is needed for your insurance to reimburse you for the services you’ve paid for. They are different from regular medical bills because the insurance companies use them to pay patients back. However, we do not guarantee that your insurance will pay you back. Clients MUST talk to their insurance company in order to verify if they will cover out of pocket payments with a superbill.
Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) devices
Literature rich activities
Oral motor/sensory exercises
Building communication skills with visual cues
Our mission at UTLEY Speech Therapy is to provide much needed speech and language therapy services to children with speech impairments who live in rural areas in and around Medina county, Texas.
Do you have concerns about your child's speech or language skills? Children who have trouble communicating may experience frustration, anger, and tantrum behaviors. Imagine needing something, and not being understood. These negative behaviors can be remediated with consistent speech therapy provided by a licensed & certified speech language pathologist.
At UTLEY Speech Therapy, we believe that families who improve their communication skills with one another can make a difference in the speech development of a child. Parents are always welcome to participate in speech therapy sessions. Give us a call today so we can collaborate!
We can help take your family from frustrated to fantastic by building communication skills!
>If you have concerns about your child's speech or language skills, give us a call at 210-570-7272. We offer comprehensive evaluations and FREE informal consultations for early childhood or school-aged children.
>We offer Independent External Evaluations (IEE) for parents wanting a second opinion on speech therapy testing completed by a school. Get an unbiased, unaffiliated 3rd party to look at your child's current Individualized Education Plan (IEP) to determine if the therapy is appropriate or if changes are needed.
>Do you need an advocate for special education ARD/IEP meetings? We can explain the legal jargon to you and make sure you are heard during a school meeting.
Click on the areas below for more information:
Language
Language is any form of communication whether spoken, written, or gestural. It can be broken down into two components: receptive and expressive. Spoken language requires both receptive listening and expressive speaking. Written language includes both reading (receptive) and writing (expressive). Communication can also occur nonverbally with the understanding of gestures (e.g. pointing, facial expressions, body language), sign language, or by exchanging picture symbols. People who are nonverbal may also communicate with an Augmentive and Alternative Communication (AAC) device.
All these types of language have their own set of rules for the correct use of phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics and pragmatics in communication.
If a child is not meeting the typical developmental milestones for their age group, they may have a language disorder. We offer comprehensive evaluations in order to determine the presence or absence of a language disorder.
At UTLEY Speech Therapy, we believe that Language and Reading go hand in hand. That is why we incorporate books into most of our therapy sessions.
Fluency (Stuttering)
Fluency refers to smoothness, rate of speech, and effort when speaking. It is known more commonly as stuttering, stammering or cluttering. It is normal for all people to stutter sometimes, especially when we are nervous or rushed.
Stuttering, also called stammering, is characterized by sound/word repetitions, prolongations (i.e. stretching out a sound), or blocks (i.e. as if the words cannot come out). If numerous disfluencies are evident in most of a person's speech, it may impede the message they are trying to communicate. Sometimes a secondary behavior (such as tension, facial grimacing, eye blinking or other movements) can accompany disfluent speech. People who stutter may have a negative perception about their speech and may avoid speaking or participating in class discussions.
Cluttering is characterized by rapid speech rate with numerous interjections, syllable deletions and omission of final sounds. People who clutter may change topics several times in one utterance. It can be difficult for a listener to understand someone who clutters.
Children who stutter, stammer, or clutter can learn techniques to help them become more fluent when they speak. Our clinic believes in treating Fluency disorders with the utmost respect and dignity. We incorporate the child's own perceptions, feelings and sentiments into the therapy plan. We want our clients to be comfortable when speaking to others so we build self-esteem and confidence. At UTLEY Speech Therapy, we can diagnose the presence or absence of a fluency disorder with a thorough evaluation in this area.
Speech (Articulation)
Articulation disorders occur when sound errors or substitutions are made in place of correct sounds (i.e. saying "wabbit" for "rabbit"). Difficulties in this area can be a result of neurological disorders (i.e. cerebral palsy), structural problems (i.e. cleft palate), or sensory causes (i.e. hearing loss). Speech sound disorders can also exist where there is no underlying cause. There are differences in sound acquisition milestones for girls and boys.
Young children will normally simplify adult speech as they learn to talk. However, if a child continues to have difficulty producing appropriate speech sounds beyond their developmental milestones, they may have a speech sound disorder. An Articulation evaluation can help diagnose a speech sound disorder.
We provide individualized therapy options that integrate play and FUN in order to treat Articulation disorders.
Note: A speech sound disorder is not the same as a speech difference, such as an accent or regional dialect. Learning a new language or more than one language at a time will not result in a speech disorder in typically developing children.
Pragmatics (Social Skills)
Pragmatic Language is the social use of language. It involves taking turns when conversing, socializing with others and using language for a variety of purposes. Language can be used to gain information, comment, or greet others. Understanding social conventions, or rules for conversation, is an import part of social language. Turn taking skills, understanding body language, gestures or facial expressions are all part of Pragmatic Language. At UTLEY Speech Therapy, we can diagnose and treat Pragmatic Language disorders.
Assistive Technology (AAC)
Assistive technology plays an important role in empowering those with disabilities. Communication tools, called Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) devices and strategies are improving lives by providing independence and freedom. Pictures, graphics, and other visuals are available in our therapy sessions. If a child needs more advanced technology, we can make recommendations and connect parents with a specialist in this area. We support the use of AAC in our therapy sessions because adding visuals can be extremely beneficial for young children, non-speaking individuals, or those with speech delays.
Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS)
Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS) is a label for a speech sound disorder characterized by difficulty initiating and making the movements necessary to produce speech. Speech Pathologists know how to treat this! We incorporate the Principles of Motor Learning in therapy by providing maximal support to the child in the beginning. As the child learns the movement for specific words or phrases, the cues are faded as needed to allow the child to become more independent. Goals for apraxia of speech focus on movement rather than on specific sounds. Children diagnosed with Apraxia benefit from frequent speech therapy sessions with a high number of repetitions in order to build muscle memory. Parents are encouraged to attend therapy with their child in order to help children generalize the skill at home.
Mila the Therapy Dog is Ms. Olga's companion. She is a certified Canine Good Citizen and has graduated from Puppy Class, Pet Manners, and Canine Good CItizen training. She has over 24 class hours and countless more hours of training at home.
Olga Utley-Rodriguez MS, CCC-SLP
Owner and Clinical Director
As a former elementary school teacher turned Speech Language Pathologist, I'm passionate about helping school age children and preschoolers communicate effectively and thrive. If you have concerns about communication, I'd love to chat and answer any questions you have. Let's work together to empower your child to achieve their full potential!
Reflecting on my special education experience, I am grateful for the opportunity to have worked with a diverse range of clients. Each one of my students has left a lasting impact on me. Every day I learn something new and am constantly inspired by their resilience and determination.
In addition to starting my private practice, I create speech materials for SLPs and parents on Teachers Pay Teachers (@SLP-MVP). I also make customized, functional communication books for families- available on Etsy (@UtleySpeechTherapy).
My qualifications include:
Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies from Texas A&M University - Kingsville in 1998
Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology from Texas Woman's University in 2017
Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC)
Member of the American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA)
Member of the Texas Speech-Language Hearing Association (TSHA)
Member of the National Black Association for Speech-Language and Hearing (NBASLH)
Licensed to practice speech-language pathology in the state of Texas (TDLR)
Certified by the State Board of Education (20 years teaching in the state of Texas)
Member of the Castroville Area Chamber of Commerce
Ten years as an SLPA/SLP at Northside ISD in San Antonio
Twenty years as a school teacher in San Antonio and South Texas.
Private Pay Rates
Out of Network? ASK YOUR INSURANCE IF THEY WILL REIMBURSE YOUR OUT OF POCKET PAYMENTS
Formal speech and language evaluations, complete with written reports start at ($350)
Independent External Evaluations available (paid by school district).
FREE informal screenings of speech development or consultations.
In-person, 30 minute, speech therapy sessions start at $75. (Ask about our prompt pay discount)
If we are out of network, Superbills are available upon request for reimbursement through your insurance, if allowed. Please check with your insurance provider to see if your out of pocket payments can be paid back to you, or applied to your deductible.
Advocacy
(effective 2/22/2024)
What people are saying:
Tanya D. said:
"I can't say enough great things about Ms. Olga! My children have been seeing her for a couple of years now and the progress they've made has been amazing. I see results not only in their speech but in their behavior as well. She makes learning fun for the children. You can see and feel the love that Ms. Olga has for the children and the passion she has for the work she does. For that I will always be grateful-- "
Aimee P. said:
"Highly skilled speech therapist! My son has grown leaps and bounds with his communication skills since he started with Ms Olga! He knows she understands him using his own specific set of language skills, developed and shaped with her guidance. "
Juanita P. said:
"Olga Utley is so professional and I have seen first hand how she works with children. She does an excellent job of helping children feel at ease. She makes speech enjoyable and fun by playing games meanwhile teaching them articulation skills."
Diana H. said:
"We are beyond thankful for you, my son adores you and I am so thankful for your dedication and grace towards him. Thank you!"
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Contact us today
Owner/Clinical Director:
Olga Utley-Rodriguez MS, CCC-SLP
Phone: 210-570-7272
Fax: 210-229-8909
email: Olga@UtleySpeechTherapy.com
Helpful Speech and Language Links:
UTLEY Speech Therapy Gives Back!
This summer (2024), Olga Utley-Rodriguez MS, CCC-SLP of UTLEY Speech Therapy partnered with Dr. Kimberley Gaskill of Koality Counseling Services to purchase over 100 pencil pouches filled with school supplies for children in Medina county. Inside the pencil pouches were colored pencils, crayons, scissors, glue, erasers, pencils and more. Additionally, the two companies acquired more donations from the community and gave away stuffed animals, folders, new children's books and dental health supplies. Food, drink, arts/crafts, and door prizes were on hand at the KCS/UST Back to School Bash held on July 27, 2024.
MVISD New Teacher Luncheon 2024
UTLEY Speech Therapy covered the cost of two meals for newly hired teachers of Medina Valley ISD during the New Teacher Luncheon on July 31, 2024. Olga Utley-Rodriguez, MS, CCC-SLP donated a $25 Wal Mart gift card for one lucky teacher. UTLEY Speech Therapy and Koality Counseling Services also contributed 10 bags of school supplies to help make sure that no teacher was left out of the drawings.
UTLEY Speech Therapy was present at the Hondo Back to School Fair 2024 with a table full of free school supplies. Parents and children lined up as early as 3:00 pm to visit the various community service booths and get their backpacks and supplies. Over 200 pencils, pens, and full school supply pouches were purchased by Olga Utley-Rodriguez, MS. CCC-SLP and Dr. Kimberley Gaskill for this event.
When Ms. Olga heard that Petunia's Rescued Friends needed a good working printer, she didn't hesitate to help! Ms. Olga donated the color printer from UTLEY Speech Therapy to the rescue organization completely free. "I am so glad I can help out this wonderful organization. The work they do to help injured and abandoned pets is invaluable!"
UTLEY Speech Therapy participated in the annual Petunia's Rescued Friends Golf Tournament. Luckily our new Assistant, Gabby McNelly, is a true golf pro! We sponsored a hole on the course and participated in the silent auction and drawings. All this helped raise money for a great cause!