Dr. Morgan “Joey” Davies, fell in love with Deaf Education after taking ASL (American Sign Language) in high school. From there she received her Bachelors of Science in Habilitation of the Deaf and Communication Sciences and Disorders from Texas Christian University. After her undergraduate degree, she received her Master’s in Deaf Education from Columbia University in New York City, as well as her Doctorate in Professional Leadership, specializing in Curriculum and Instruction, from University of Houston. After working in speech clinics, deaf education, and audiology, Dr. Davies realized that many programs for students with hearing needs do not often help children reach their full potential. So in 2022, Dr. Davies founded The Davies Institute of Speech and Hearing in order to help guide parents, families, and students with hearing loss throughout their educational journey.
The Davies Institute has been in the making since 2010 and Dr. Davies is thrilled to build her business and watch it grow with the love and support of her friends and family. Dr. Davies has struggled with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, Auditory Processing Disorder, and Dyslexia. These struggles have made her acutely aware of how disabilities can affect a student’s abilities to perform and succeed. However, she believes in the power of good and pushing through to help others be more educated and more successful.
She is the happy owner of two dogs, Mayson & Harley, and two cats, Maia & Romeo. When she is not working, you will find her with her with her husband Adam and their son Rhett, relaxing and enjoying the outdoors!
Julie Westfall is our Operations Manager and a wonderful addition to our DISH team! Her goal at DISH is to keep the office efficient, warm, and inviting to our patients and families. If she's not in her office, you can often find her doing community outreach and planning fundraising events for our DISH Development Center.
Julie began taking sign language as a high school student and then got her Bachelor of Science degree in Interdisciplinary Studies of Early Childhood through Elementary Education from LeTourneau University. She has experience teaching general and special education from 2014 to 2022. Julie has a passion for working with students of all ages and feels excited and blessed to be a part of the DISH family.
Julie is married to her husband Robert Westfall who also works IT for a local school district. Together they have two sons- Oliver and Tommy. In her free time she enjoys spending time with her family and making lists of crafts to accomplish in her spare time.
Erika has spent her career working in Early Childhood Education and is a BCASE (Board Certified Advocate in Special Education. From a newborn care specialist to a behavioral therapist--she has experience with kiddos from all walks of life. She is now devoted to helping our patients and their parents during their educational journey. She brings her knowledge and love of all things early childhood into her daily work. Erika has dual degrees in Early Childhood Education and Psychology, with a minor in Deaf and Communication Studies from Utah State University.
Erika is a newlywed, and she and her husband, Will, have three doodles that keep them busy. Her ideal perfect day is fishing at the beach with her dogs! She also spends her time making beaded jewelry and sells at craft markets on the weekends. Her favorite role is being an auntie!
Our passionate Education Coordinator is Francesca Soda. Francesca grew up in Michigan where she obtained a dual bachelor’s in Communication Disorders and Psychology from Central Michigan University. She moved to Houston 12 years ago to begin her career as a Speech Language Pathologist Assistant. After 5 years in the field of pediatric home health care, she obtained a master’s in Deaf Education and Hearing Science from the University of Texas Health Science San Antonio. Francesca has been a Teacher of the Deaf, and still practices as a pediatric SLPA in the DISH clinical setting.
Francesca lives with her 8-year-old son, Jackson, her 15-year old sister, Grayson, and my black lab, Zoey.
In her free time you can find her near a body of water or on a random adventure with her family. She enjoys mediation, nature, writing, and singing (not well). She is an avid Beatles fan and a walking karaoke machine of all genres and eras. Francesca is passionate about travel and plans to slowly make her way around the world!
The first friendly face you'll see at DISH is our bubbly receptionist, Katie Denson. Katie studied Nursing at Houston Community College for 3 years. She completed and graduated from Southwest Medical Academy in 1997 with a certification in medical assisting. She worked as a Certified Medical Assistant for almost 26 years. After the loss of her little brother with special needs, she became an advocate for those who are non-verbal and on the spectrum. She loves helping children grow and seeing past their disabilities.
She has been married to her husband Ryan for almost 9 years. Together they share 3 girls, Baleigh, Madison and Avarie. With all of the girls over 19, she & her husband have began their empty nester era. In her free she loves working out, reading, crafting and cheering on her Ole Miss Rebels! She loves to be anywhere near a beach. She can also be found watching movies with her husband & their 2 dogs, Tank & Ceasar, and cat Little Bit.
Tanya Grice, MS, CCC-SLP, ASDCS graduated from Bard College in 1994 with a BA in Art History. After college, she assisted clients with cerebral palsy, and discovered that she enjoyed helping them communicate and advocate for themselves. She then received her Master of Science degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Emerson College in 2002. Tanya has 21 years of experience with pediatric and adult clients in a variety of settings, including acute care, inpatient rehabilitation, skilled nursing facilities, home health, and outpatient clinics.
She has two boys - a 10-year-old with Autism, and a 7-year-old with Down Syndrome - who inspire her to continue learning and growing as both an SLP and a mother, and who provide her with a unique perspective and ability to connect with the caregivers of her clients. Due to her experience with her own children, Tanya currently specializes in helping children develop the necessary strategies and skills to communicate efficiently and effectively in all aspects of their lives (home, school, and relationships). She is an Autism Spectrum Disorder Clinical Specialist, is PROMPT trained, Beckman Oral Motor Protocol certified, and Vital Stim certified. She also enjoys exploring sensory-based play, feeding therapy, and total communication approaches, including the use of augmentative and alternative communication devices, such as Dynavox and NovaChat.
Tanya is currently in the process of obtaining her Listening and Spoken Language Specialist Certification through the Alexander Graham Bell (AG Bell) Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, in addition to obtaining Continuing Education in Auditory Processing Disorder treatment so that she can be of maximum service to the hearing loss community. Tanya looks forward to partnering with families to help their children achieve success and meet their communication goals.
Lauren Aldridge graduated from Texas A&M University in 2011 with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication. She then obtained her speech therapy assistant certification through the University of Houston in 2015. Following her certification, she worked in a variety of settings including home health, schools, daycares, and most recently, in a clinic setting seeing a variety of speech and language disorders.
Lauren has a passion for helping children gain confidence through speech therapy. She enjoys utilizing play-based therapy where a child can play and use their imagination while also learning. It is truly magical seeing the joy on a child’s face when they have that moment of clarity and understanding. They exude pride and joy and in turn, Lauren could not be more proud! She has always been so fulfilled helping children with their speech and language difficulties and allowing them to truly blossom through their communication.
In her free time, Lauren enjoys spending time with her son, husband and dog. She likes exercising, watching movies, doing crafts, painting, singing, cooking and baking.
Catherine Galvin is our wonderful and enthusiastic Occupational Therapist. She started her career in early intervention home health in Orange County, New York and then moved to Montgomery County, Maryland in 2018 where she worked in an outpatient clinic for a non profit. Catherine completed and passed the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) Board Certification in Pediatrics in 2023 just before her arrival at DISH. She is excited to put this certification to use here at Davies Institute!
In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, going for walks with her dog Peanut, going to the beach, traveling, and reading (she is halfway done with my yearly reading goal!). Catherine grew up playing softball and has coached privately and assisted a varsity program in NY. She is an avid sports fan and her favorite team is the New York Giants. She loves to try new foods and will take and and all recommendations! She misses NY bagels and MD crab the most.
Dr. Audrey Taylor received her Bachelor of Arts in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Baylor University and her Doctor of Audiology degree from the University of Texas at Dallas. Prior to joining the Davies Institute of Speech & Hearing, she served as the senior clinical audiologist at UT Physicians Department of Otorhinolaryngology in the Texas Medical Center in Houston.
Dr. Taylor is Board Certified in Audiology (ABAC) and has received advanced cochlear implant training through the Institute for Cochlear Implant Training (ICIT). She is a member of the American Academy of Audiology (AAA) and the Texas Academy of Audiology (TAA). Currently, she serves as the Committee Advisory Chair for the National Student Academy of Audiology (SAA). She has previously served as a member of the AAA New Professionals Committee and as a member of the TAA Membership and Conference Planning Committees.
Dr. Taylor is passionate about early identification and intervention as it pertains to hearing loss. She specializes in traditional and advanced diagnostic evaluations and aims to provide excellent patient care rooted in evidence-based practice and family centered philosophy. She believes a successful hearing healthcare journey begins with an accurate diagnosis coupled with patient-centered counseling.
Her primary interests include pediatric diagnostics and aural rehabilitation, cochlear implants, and advocating for individuals with hearing loss. Outside of work, Dr. Taylor enjoys spending time with her husband and their Shetland sheepdog, Ziva.
Ursula Cagle has recently joined our team at DISH as the newest Teacher of the Deaf. With over 20 years of experience, Ursula has worked tirelessly with the 0-21 population and families in various settings, including parent-infant programs, school-aged programs, transition, itinerant services, and classroom settings focused on Listening and Spoken Language. Her commitment to serving students with hearing loss and communication delays is truly remarkable.
Ursula earned her Bachelor of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Texas Woman’s University in 2001 and furthered her education in Special Education. In 2005, she obtained her Master of Science in Deaf Education and Hearing Sciences from UT Health Science Center. Her passion for helping students communicate effectively and advocate for themselves shines through in all her endeavors.
Beyond her professional life, Ursula is happily married to her husband James of 15 years. They are proud parents of two beautiful girls, Hope, 14, who has Autism, Carly, 11, and three fur babies. In her leisure time, she enjoys embarking on family adventures to the beach, parks, and museums. Ursula has a profound love for music, singing, vintage cars, and collecting vintage memorabilia.
Coming soon!
Jassmyn Strode comes to DISH with over 8 years of experience working with children ranging from ages 6 weeks old to 12 years. She started working with kids at the age of 19 and quickly grew a true love and passion for the early childhood field. Her favorite part about working at DISH is getting to connect with so many amazing families and establishing strong connections with each child that she gets to work closely with and care for.
Jassmyn has worn many hats in the field of early childhood education, including spending most of her career as a teacher, and other roles as an assistant director, curriculum coordinator, as well as some work in early intervention, specifically in ABA as a behavior technician. She also earned her associates of Science in Early Childhood Education from Pikes Peak State College, and is currently attending Grand Canyon University for my bachelors of Science in Psychology.
Jassmyn is originally from Colorado and moved to Texas several years ago with her husband of 7 years, Donte, as well as with her beautiful 4-year-old son, Jamarion. In her free time she loves to write, do makeup, spend time with her family, and sing!
Coming soon!
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"We provide early intervention programs for children with hearing loss and language delays (12 months- 5 years), while also providing public access to speech therapy, occupational therapy, and audiological services to the Katy, Texas area."
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A Board Certified Advocate for Special Education is someone who acts on the family’s behalf in helping them understand SPED programs and fight for fair and appropriate accommodations and classroom placements.