Southwest Texas State University

LTTS Owner

Donna knew that she would enter a profession that supported the community and provided assistance in some capacity to people, families, and communities in need.

From a young age, physical therapy was her calling, and early in her career she knew her destiny included owning a practice. She never could have imagined the amazing family that is Little Tesoros Therapy Services.

On a daily basis, Donna stands in awe of what He has created, provided and continues to grow for the treasures in our care at LTTS.

Donna has a special interest in Neonatal Developmental Care, and created and implemented the Developmental Programs in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at St. David’s Medical Center. She also developed and implemented the Wound Care Center at St. David’s Medical Center.

She is trained and certified in providing pediatric physical therapy under the Neurodevelopmental Treatment Approach (NDT) and has been practicing for over 25 years.

The University of Texas at Austin and Texas Woman’s University at Houston

When Amanda was in middle school, one of her cousins had triplets. One of the girls was diagnosed with cerebral palsy and Amanda had the opportunity to attend several of her physical therapy sessions. She quickly realized that this was the passion she wanted to pursue.

Amanda is certified in Neurodevelopmental Treatment (NDT) and has a special interest in patients with neurologic diagnoses.

Austin Community College

Audrey came home from work as a secretary one day and was greeted by her best friend, who was in school to be a Physical Therapist Assistant. Her friend said “I’ve found the perfect job for you! Get your degree to be an Occupational Therapy Assistant and you can play all day!”

That was over 25 years ago, and Audrey has been happily working (and playing) as an OTA ever since.

Rockhurst University

Bethany discovered the field of Occupational Therapy after an off-handed comment by a college advisor who suggested it might suit her personality. Further exploration revealed OT to be the perfect mix of helping people engage with life and working within the medical field.

Since beginning her practice in 2013, Bethany has developed a strong passion for working with children, especially those with neuromotor, developmental, and sensory processing challenges. She loves partnering with kids and their families, supporting them as they grow, learn, and gain independence.

Bethany specializes in pediatric Constraint Induced Movement Therapy (CIMT) and has also trained in Kinesio Taping, visual skills deficits, Neuro-Developmental Treatment (NDT) Intensive Handling Techniques, and primitive reflex integration.

University of Southern California

Carole has worked in the field of pediatric physical therapy for over 50 years. She has a master’s degree from USC with a specialization in developmental disorders. Carole is NDT certified, with advanced baby treatment certification as well as other advanced courses. She has taken numerous courses in the treatment of torticollis.

Carole has a background in myofascial release techniques, and cranial sacral approaches in pediatrics. She has had the opportunity to work in a variety of settings in different capacities: lead therapist, co-owner, mentor including hospital-based, clinic-based and home-based arenas.

In addition, Carole says “I have had the privilege of working for LTTS for the past 20 years.”

The University of Texas at Austin

Christine grew up in Chicago, IL and moved to Texas to attend the University of Texas at Austin, where she received both her bachelor of arts and master’s degree in Speech Language Pathology.

Christine loves being a speech pathologist because she gets to eat, talk, and play with her patients every day!

She enjoys collaborating with parents and families to help their children reach their fullest and ever-growing potential.

Christine has a special interest in patients with infant breast/bottle feeding difficulties, oral and sensory feeding/swallowing disorders, early speech and language development, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and Augmentative and Alternative Communication needs.

Christine is bilingual and fluent in Vietnamese. She is a Hanen certified therapist and has received training in the Beckman Oral Motor feeding program.

The University of Texas at Austin

Irma “DeeDee” Barrera has been a practicing speech language pathologist for over 25 years and has worked in many settings. She worked for the San Antonio, Laredo, Eanes, and Leander school districts, for the CEDEN Early Childhood Intervention program, for the Brackenridge Hospital out-patient clinic, and as a bilingual clinical supervisor for students in the graduate bilingual speech pathology program at the University of Texas Speech and Hearing Center here in Austin.

Pediatrics has always been her love and in the last 10 years here at LTTS, she has found her passion working with children on the spectrum, apraxia, and bilingual clients.

She embraces a Hanen-based therapy approach as nothing brings her greater joy than connecting children with their parents.

DeeDee believes that treating the whole child is important and thus incorporates sensory integration, and social communication work into her therapy as well.

Southeastern Louisiana University and LSU Health Science Center

Jean became a physical therapist after having a knee injury in college and working as a technician at an outpatient clinic. She has a passion for helping others achieve their goals and cheering them on. After working with adults in a long-term care facility and home health, she transitioned to pediatric therapy.

She is certified in Therasuit Method and currently is the Intensive PT at LTTS since May 2023. She enjoys collaborating with families and other professionals to treat children using a team-based approach.

Austin Community College

In 1984 Joann’s son was born with Cerebral Palsy, Hydrocephalus and cortical blindness. He attended ECI programs for Occupational, Physical and Speech Therapy. It was there that Joann met a wonderful Occupational Therapist that she learned so much from and was mentored by.

Joann has had the joy of working for Little Tesoros since 2002.

Joann’s first passion is to work with the neurological impaired children and their families. She also specializes in developmental delays and feeding disorders.

University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences at Austin, Texas

Jocelyn’s interest in pediatric physical therapy started in undergraduate school while she worked as a caregiver for a 9 year old girl with spastic quadriplegia cerebral palsy. She found passion in creating ways to include her in play activities with her siblings and in the community.

Jocelyn joined Little Tesoros in 2018 and has experience working with children with a variety of diagnoses including developmental delay, torticollis, abnormal muscle tone, neurological disorders and genetic disorders.

She has additional training in NDT handling, DMI (Dynamic Movement Intervention) therapy, electrical stimulation, kinesiotaping, serial casting, and Whole Body Vibration therapy.

One of the things Jocelyn likes most about working in pediatrics is that each child is different (and cute!). She is continuously learning from the children and their families and loves coming to work each day. In her free time, you can find her enjoying nature or eating anything in the break room!

New York University

Julie became an OT because she was always interested in working with people. She discovered she loves helping people overcome obstacles and improve their lives. Julie has been an OT for over 30 years and has worked with all age groups in a variety of settings.

She has gravitated towards pediatrics and loves being able to work closely with families to help them along their journey.

She has extensive experience in feeding problems, equipment issues and also in working with very medically compromised children and adults. She is certified in TheraSuit. Julie is also a Clinical Manager at LTTS.

Texas A&M University and University of Texas Health Science Center

Karen developed a love of children with special needs at a young age by being around her cousin. She has always loved being active, learning about science and helping others so it was a natural fit. Once she was able to help with an adapted PE class in college, she was hooked!

Karen has been a pediatric PT for over 17 years in multiple settings. As a mom of a child with special needs, she also understands the family aspect that is required to help these precious children thrive.

Karen has been certified in pediatric NDT, certified in serial casting, John Barnes MFR and loves to continue to learn.

Texas Woman’s University and Texas A&M University

Keeli became interested in physical therapy after watching talented therapists rehabilitate a friend with a leg amputation. She has many years of experience teaching dance to young children.

After training with the therapists at LTTS, she knew she wanted to be a pediatric physical therapist. Keeli has experience working with children with a variety of diagnoses including torticollis, genetic disorders, neurological disorders, and developmental delays.

The University of Texas at Austin and Texas State University

Physical therapy allows Kelli to help people get back to what they love to do without pain or restriction. Pediatrics is especially fulfilling because it allows her to help teach new skills in a fun environment with an exciting population.

Kelli has worked at Little Tesoros since 2008 and has certifications in Pediatric Neurodevelopmental Treatment (NDT) and Therasuit Method Intensive Program (TMIP). She also specializes in treatment of neurological disorders, with a passion for cerebral palsy, and has experience with serial/inhibitory casting, infant handling, and myofascial release.

She coordinates a monthly tone management clinic with Dr. Jimmy Ong from Child Neurology Consultants of Austin, a specialized service offered for LTTS patients with neurological diagnoses.

Texas Woman’s University – Houston

Kristin has been a Physical Therapist for 16 years. She always knew she wanted to work with children, and following rehab for a sports injury in high school knew that being a Pediatric PT was just the right fit.

Kristin loves her job because she can help children learn new skills and navigate their world while working closely with their family to meet individual needs. She has experience working in outpatient settings, schools, early intervention, and home health in Texas, New York, and Virginia.

Kristin has received specific trainings in Total Muscle Release Tots and Teens (level 1), Kinesio Taping (levels 1-3), Aquatic Therapy, Reflex Integration, and is a Credentialed Clinical Instructor (level 1 through APTA).

She has additional interests in sensory techniques, adaptive equipment, and orthotics. Kristin has experience working with a wide variety of neuromuscular, musculoskeletal, and chromosomal disorders including Angelman Syndrome, Bainbridge Roper Syndrome, Noonan Syndrome, Down Syndrome, Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Torticollis, other rare chromosomal disorders, multi-complex medical diagnoses, gross motor delay, and developmental delay.

The University of Texas at Austin and Texas State University

When Lauren was in high school and trying to decide a career path, she observed both physical and speech therapists here at LTTS. She was so impressed by the love and support they gave the patient and his family, while providing the highest quality of care.

During college, she joined the LTTS family as a clinical therapy tech and worked her way through school in order to rejoin this community and serve as a speech-language pathologist.

Lauren’s interests include Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), early language, and Autism Spectrum Disorders.

She is a Hanen trained therapist and utilizes this method in child-led play-based interventions.

Southwest Texas State University

Laurie was introduced to the field of physical therapy in seventh grade when her sister was recovering from knee surgery. While in PT school, she had an opportunity to treat a child, and immediately found her love for pediatric physical therapy.

Laurie is NDT certified and is also certified to teach infant massage. She has particular interest in torticollis, myofascial release, medically complex infants and Kinesiotaping.

The University of Texas at Austin and University of North Texas

Laurie previously worked in the secondary public-school setting and pediatric home health setting before joining the Little Tesoros family.

She has a passion for transition and helping patients gain independence and communicative competence to be prepared for a successful future.

Laurie is devoted to providing evidence-based, functional therapy, as well as educating and collaborating with multidisciplinary teams, to provide the best outcomes for patients and their families.

Some of Laurie’s interests include school-age and adolescent language therapy, augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), and autism spectrum disorders (ASDs).

UT Health San Antonio

Liz comes to Little Tesoros with experience in adult inpatient rehab and acute care prior to transitioning to pediatrics. Since transitioning to pediatrics, Liz has worked in both the home health and outpatient settings.

Liz first gained her love for pediatrics while in her master’s program working on the research project “Go Baby Go” in which she helped modify ride on toy cars for non-ambulatory kids. Since having her own child, Liz’s love for the pediatric population has only grown, and being a mother has made her a better therapist.

Liz has training in Sequential Oral Sensory (SOS) Approach to Feeding and Beckman Oral Motor Assessment.

The University of Texas at Austin

Maria grew up in Mexico City and moved to Texas when she was a teenager. As she navigated full language immersion and second language acquisition, she realized the importance of communication and found her passion for Speech-Language Pathology. She earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Texas at Austin.

Maria is dedicated to equipping parents and caregivers with the tools and strategies needed to support bilingual language development at an early age. As a bilingual speech pathologist, Maria understands the critical role that early intervention plays in shaping a child’s communication skills.

She continues to develop her skills as a therapist, with special interests in feeding and early language intervention focusing on nurturing language development in bilingual children. She is a passionate advocate for the potential that bilingualism offers.

University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences at Austin, Texas

Marissa started with Little Tesoros fresh from her fieldwork training with pediatrics and adult day programs for intellectual disabilities.

She looks forward to continuing education with sensory processing disorders, feeding therapy, NDT, auditory therapy, and handwriting techniques.

The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston

Mary Kay knew she wanted to be an Occupational Therapist when she was a teenager volunteering at a hospital and saw an Occupational Therapist working with a person to regain function after having a stroke.

She has always enjoyed working with children with neurological issues, orthopedic issues, developmental delay and feeding issues.

She is certified in Vital Stim therapy program, Beckman Oral Motor Assessment and Sensory Integration and Praxis Test.

University of Puget Sound

Melissa has been a pediatric occupational therapist for over 15 years and still loves the remarkable children she serves and their families. Her objective is to ensure patients are having such a good time that they don't realize they are actually working toward achieving functional goals that will increase their participation in activities across a variety of environments including their home, school, and in their community.

She feels caregiver involvement is of particular importance for a child's advancement in motor, sensory, and self-care skills.

Caregiver education is also an integral part of treatment that empowers families and directly benefits the patient.

Special areas of interest and training include sensory processing disorder, feeding therapy, and swallowing therapy with an emphasis on NMES administration when necessary. She is certified in Vital Stim therapy program. Melissa feels she is truly blessed to have such an amazing job.

The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston

Mindy first started at Little Tesoros as a rehab tech and then came back to us after she had finished her master’s degree in Occupational Therapy and we are thrilled to have her return. She has a passion for children and wanted to work in the medical field where she could interact with families on a personal level.

She loves her job because she is able to work closely with families in order to provide client-centered intervention that will allow the child to become as independent as possible.

Mindy enjoys working with both neuromotor and sensory populations.

Mindy is trained in Handwriting without Tears, Social Thinking, Sequential Oral Sensory (SOS) Approach to Feeding, NDT Intensive Handling Techniques in pediatrics and is certified in Integrative Learning Systems (ILS).

State University of New York Albany and San Francisco State University

After spending nearly seven years in the business sector, Nadine decided to change her career and became a speech language pathologist.

She has had the opportunity to work with a variety of children in school and private practice settings. Although she enjoys working with all children, she holds a special place in heart for children who are 2-5 years old.

Nadine continues to develop her skills as a therapist and has taken continuing education courses such as PROMPT and Hanen’s: IT Takes Two to Talk.

Texas State, Texas A&M University and University of Texas Medical Branch

Ryan has been working as pediatric physical therapist since 2003 and during that time has experience in early Childhood Intervention as well as home health and public school based services.

He is currently the Motor Therapists Supervisor for Bluebonnet Trails ECI as well as working for Little Tesoros part time.

Ryan has 5 children including 2 adopted boys, one of which has special needs. He feels his job is a calling and has a passion to help children and families find hope and overcome.

Texas Christian University and Virginia Commonwealth University

Sarah became an OT because she is passionate about wanting children with challenges to feel loved and known as they work to develop their skills. She desires to care for families as they support their children. She has a special interest in working with children with ASD, sensory processing challenges and general developmental delays.

She has completed training in the SOS feeding approach, Floortime and iLs listening program.

The University of Texas at El Paso and Washington State University

Stephanie chose to become a speech language pathologist because she believes that every child should have the opportunity to communicate to their fullest potential.

She loves establishing a collaborative relationship with families so they may work together to achieve a child’s communication goals.

Stephanie is Hanen certified and has extensive experience working with children in the areas of early language acquisition, DIR floortime therapy, feeding therapy and augmentative communication.

The University of Texas at Austin and The University of Texas at Dallas

Before joining Little Tesoros, Thuy-An worked in public-school settings at both the elementary and middle school level. She loves working with the pediatric population and meeting every child and their family exactly where they’re at and providing them with tailored support to provide positive therapy outcomes.

She is dedicated to empowering families with knowledge and confidence to play active roles in their child’s progress and to instill within each child the belief that they can do hard things. She wants to make sure that each child is seen, heard, and has the functional communication skills to be successful in their own way.

Thuy-An’s special interests are in the areas of autism spectrum disorder, early/school-age language development, and augmentative and alternative communication. Her favorite way to develop speech and language with her patients is through using play-based and literacy-based speech therapy techniques that are rooted in evidence-based practices.