Our Austin Speech Language Pathologist Team!

Ellen Kester, Ph.D., CCC-SLP

President & Founder, Bilingual Speech Language Pathologist

Dr. Kester founded Bilinguistics to meet the speech and language needs of children from diverse backgrounds. She provides workshops around the United States and beyond on bilingualism, assessment of bilingual students, and effective intervention practices. Dr. Kester has served as Adjunct Professor at The University of Texas at Austin, teaching courses in language development, assessment and intervention, early childhood intervention, preschoolers with special needs, and measurement. Her research and clinical work address the important issue of differentiating bilingual children with typical development from those with language impairment, and identifying appropriate goals for intervention with bilinguals. Ellen’s passion for languages started when she lived in Asia as a teenager. She learned to speak a little Malay and Mandarin and studied French while in Asia. She then returned to Texas several years later and decided Spanish would be useful too. She dove into the world of bilingual assessments in graduate school and that continues to be her passion in the field of speech-language pathology. When she’s not working, she loves being on the tennis court or traveling with her husband and three children. Ellen’s Professional Bio. Image 1. Image 2.

Scott Prath, M.A., CCC-SLP

Vice President, Bilingual Speech Language Pathologist

Scott has been working as a bilingual speech pathologist in Austin, Texas since 2004 and is the Vice President of Bilinguistics. He has worked in Early-Childhood Intervention and currently serves bilingual children in the schools and clinic setting. His research focuses on developing protocols, materials, and professional development to better serve special population such as Autism, VPI, and second-language learners.

Scott presents to Speech-Language Pathologists nationally and internationally, and translates for the Spanish-speaking community in Austin. His conversations and presentations are fun, circuitous rides that weave quotes, history, and humor into any discussion. Scott is masterful and methodical at turning the passions and interests of the staff into the books, presentations, and courses that you see throughout this website. Scott’s Professional Bio. Image 1. Image 2.

Chelsey Contillo, M.A., CCC-SLP

Clinical Manager, Speech Language Pathologist

Chelsey earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) from the University of Florida. She taught in an elementary school for one year before earning a Master of Arts degree in CSD from her alma mater. Chelsey’s experience providing speech and feeding therapy to children at a clinic in Beijing was transformative. She had the opportunity to volunteer at nearby orphanages and educate caregivers on language development and safe feeding practices for children with severe disabilities. Chelsey values her relationships with families and especially enjoys the parent/caregiver engagement in early childhood intervention. She brings all of her experience and expertise to her role as Clinical Supervisor for Bilinguistics.

Chelsey has a working knowledge of Spanish language and is continues improving her Spanish language fluency to provide services to Spanish-speaking children. Chelsey was born and raised in Miami, Florida, and moved to Austin for her final semester of graduate school. She fell in love with the city’s charm and decided to stay for another 5 years. Following her adventurous spirit, Chelsey moved to Beijing, China for one year before spending time in California’s Bay Area. She’s returned to Austin with a family in tow and is thrilled to be reconnected with her community. Chelsey can be found around town eating tacos, riding her bike, dancing, and chasing after her toddler.

Alejandra Guzman-Buitrago, M.S., CCC-SLP

Bilingual Speech Language Pathologist

Alejandra earned her Bachelor of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders in the University of Texas at Austin. She received her Master of Science degree in Speech Language Pathology from The University of Texas at Austin. She first began working with children with special needs as a volunteer at an institute in Colombia. During her academic years, she has worked with children with Down Syndrome and Autism. She is passionate about working with children because she likes to make positive impact in children’s life.

As a student, Alejandra’s clinical rotations included The University of Texas Elementary school, The University of Texas at Austin speech and hearing clinic and Dell children’s Rehabilitation center. She is originally from Colombia and she has been living in Austin since 2012. She is excited to continue working with children from different backgrounds and provide effective speech therapy for bilingual children. When she is not working, Alejandra loves spending time with her family, and her two dogs. She enjoys going to the movies, traveling and learning about different cultures and languages.

Allison Long, M.S., CCC-SLP

Bilingual Speech Language Pathologist

Allison earned her BA in French Language and Literature from Northern Illinois University. She received her Master of Science degree in Speech Language Pathology from Texas Woman’s University. Following graduation, she became an Austin speech language pathologist and had the opportunity to work in a school district where she discovered her love of working with children 3 to 4 years old. She is a passionate bilingual speech language pathologist and loves working with bilingual children. Allison was born in Texas and roamed around the world before settling back in Austin. Allison was a response-to-intervention teacher before becoming a speech therapist in Austin. During her downtime, Allison loves to knit, go on nature walks, and binge-watch British mysteries.

Jan Holst Chaires, PhD, CF-SLP

Bilingual Speech Language Pathologist

Jan earned his Bachelor of Literature and Language Sciences from the Universidad del Claustro de Sor Juana (Mexico). He received his Master of Science degree in Speech Language Pathology from The University of Texas at Austin. He is originally from Mexico and moved to Austin in 2022.

Jan became interested in speech and language therapy during his PhD and MD in Linguistics from the Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro (Mexico). During those degrees, his research was focused on language development and language impairment, specifically in the use of subjunctive among Spanish-speaking children with language impairment and in the comprehension of spatial deictic terms in Spanish-speaking children with ASD. Jan has also worked as a Spanish teacher at a junior high school and as a Linguistics adjunct professor at the Escuela Nacional de Antropología e Historia in Mexico City.

As a student at The University of Texas at Austin, Jan’s clinical rotations included The University of Texas at Austin Speech and Hearing Clinic, The Multilingual Aphasia and Dementia Lab, and KIPP Paseo Primary. He is now a Clinical Fellow, pursuing his Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC).

Mary Frances Maranto, M.A., CCC-SLP

Bilingual Speech Language Pathologist

Mary Frances earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in in Communicative Disorders and Spanish from The University of Alabama. She then spent a school year in Mexico teaching English, working with children, and continuing to grow her Spanish language abilities and a deep respect and love for Mexican culture. Mary Frances then moved to Austin, where she earned a Master of Arts in Communication Sciences and Disorders from The University of Texas at Austin, graduating in 2018. Since then, she has worked as a school-based bilingual speech-language pathologist in the Austin area. Through several years of growth as a school-based SLP, Mary Frances has confirmed her love of working with bilingual children and their families.
She especially enjoys evaluating and providing therapy for young children and empowering families to navigate the process of finding the right supports for their little ones. She is also passionate about working in public schools, where all children have access to quality services and affirming social emotional support, regardless of differences in background, language, or neurology. In her spare time, you can find Mary Frances exploring the outdoors, stretching on a yoga mat, scheming up her next weekend travel plan, or sharing more information than you asked for about a recent book or podcast.

Paulina Guijarro, M.S.,  CCC-SLP

Bilingual Speech Language Pathologist

Paulina earned her Bachelor of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders in the University of Texas at Austin. She received her Master of Science degree in Speech Language Pathology from The University of Texas at Austin.

Paulina dreamt of being an SLP since a very young age, as she would accompany her younger sibling to his therapies. She is originally from Mexico and moved to Austin in 2017 to pursue her career.  Paulina’s clinical rotations included The University of Texas Elementary school, The University of Texas at Austin Speech and Hearing Clinic, The Multilingual Aphasia and Dementia Lab, and Baylor Scott and White Hospital (inpatient adult and outpatient pediatric). She is excited to continue working with bilingual children from different backgrounds and provide them with a fun and interactive experience with speech therapy.

Paulina loves spending time with her family and friends and is always looking for reasons for a get together. She is always planning her next vacation, or following some recipe she found online.