Kildare therapist launches speech support puppet!

A KILDARE-based speech therapist is launching what she hopes will be the next breakthrough in paediatric development – with something that looks like a cousin of a Muppet!

With 14 years experience at her premises on Friary Road in Naas working with children who struggle to communicate, Jenny Hillier will launch the ‘Speech Monsters’ in Baker and Jones Book Shop on Saturday (7 June) from 2pm.

“This is a new product with a powerful purpose,” said Jenny.

“The ‘Speech Monsters’ are a screen-free, research-informed range of puppets designed to support children’s speech sound and early literacy development,” she said.

Driven by her deep passion for helping children find their voice, Jenny has created the Speech Monsters to fill a gap she consistently encountered in therapy rooms – a lack of hand on tools to visually model how sounds are made.

“I was using visuals, tongue depressors, mirrors, even my own hands, but nothing fully captured a child’s imagination,” she said.

“So, I designed what I needed – playful puppets with moveable mouths and adjustable tongues to show exactly where, and how sounds are formed”.

The result is the loveable trio Gomez, Goji and Fuzzle, each with a distinct personality designed to support speech sound clarity, phonics learning, and early literacy through play.

“The Speech Monster puppets offer a screen-free alternative for teachers, families and professionals seeking practical tools grounded in developmental research,” said Jenny.

The trio will be available from Friday at speechmonsters,com and on Amazon UK.