Our Story,
Your Journey
❊ About Us
Where children are celebrated and families feel supported.
Launchpad began with a simple purpose:
to help children communicate, connect and thrive.
Founder Krystal Salvador has supported children and families since 2011 across clinics, homes, schools, hospitals and communities in the Philippines and New Zealand. Her experience in both urban and underserved communities, early childhood education and life as a parent shaped a service that is practical, compassionate and family-centred.
Launchpad was first established in 2020 within a Montessori school in the Philippines. Its new home in Oamaru brings 15 years of experience together in a welcoming place where children are celebrated and parents feel heard.
Meet Krystal
Krystal Salvador, Founder and Senior Speech-Language Therapist, brings 15 years of experience in early intervention, parent coaching, speech, language, social communication, motor speech, augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), dysphagia and early literacy.
She's a PROMPT-trained clinician and structured literacy practitioner, a registered member of the New Zealand Speech-Language Therapists' Association, and fully First Aid certified.
Krystal believes in a strengths-based, play-based approach, and loves working in genuine partnership with families, educators and other professionals to help every child thrive.
❊ Registered and recognized by
Our Mission
To offer warm, play-based, family-centred support that helps children communicate with confidence, connect meaningfully and thrive, socially, emotionally and academically.
We walk alongside families with practical strategies, compassionate care and evidence-informed practice, building genuine partnerships that nurture every child's unique potential.
Our Vision
A future where every child feels heard, understood and confident in who they are and capable of reaching their full potential.
We dream of a community where families feel informed and empowered, children love learning, every strength and communication style is celebrated, and professionals come together to provide meaningful, connected support.
Our Approach
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Children learn best when they feel safe, engaged and connected. That's why we start with each child's strengths, interests, communication style, relationships and everyday world
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Families are at the heart of everything we do, not just observers. We offer guidance while honouring each family's priorities, culture, circumstances and deep knowledge of their own child.
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Communication can look like sounds, spoken words, gestures, signs, facial expressions, body language, pictures, communication boards or electronic systems. However a child chooses to express themselves, it matters, and it's valued.
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Every child's journey looks different, and that's exactly as it should be. Goals and support are shaped around each child, not a one-size-fits-all path.
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Research and clinical expertise matter, and so do relationships, culture, family life and everyday moments. We bring it all together, with parent-coaching programmes at the heart of what we do.
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We celebrate meaningful moments: expressing needs and ideas, connecting with others, joining in family and community life, learning, and growing in confidence.
Why Launchpad
is programme-first
Parent coaching turns one appointment into many opportunities across the week. Families get to see strategies modelled, practise them with support, and weave them naturally into everyday routines. This approach is backed by research on caregiver-implemented communication intervention, and by Krystal's 15 years of experience working alongside families across clinics, homes, schools, hospitals and communities.
Small groups are how we bring this to life at Launchpad, because this is where learning becomes practical, relational and lasting. For children who need more individualised care, whether due to assessment findings, complexity, privacy or specific learning needs, premium one-to-one services are there to offer the right fit.
❊ Testimonials
What Families Are Saying
We asked, they answered!
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It is with absolute pleasure to write this professional review for Krystal as she embarks on her new venture establishing a speech and language therapy business
I have had the delight of working alongside Krystal in a preschool setting at Oamaru Montessori. She is blessed with a presence that makes you automatically feel relaxed and at ease. Krystal possesses an extraordinary ability to connect with both children and their families. She approaches every child with warmth, patience, respect and empathetic support therefore creating an environment that is safe and encouraging where children feel motivated to communicate. Her articulation is outstanding and is a highly effective communicator.
I have complete confidence that this incredible lady will establish a therapy center defined by excellence, compassion and high ethical standards. Krystal's vision and leadership will undoubtedly make a profound positive impact in our community. I recommend her without reservation.
Paula Hose
ECE Teacher at Montessori Oamaru -
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I have had the absolute pleasure of working alongside Krystal in the hospital. I am a nurse and Krystal is our Speech-Language Therapist, and I can genuinely say she is one of those people who brings both incredible knowledge and so much heart to her work.
What I really admire about Krystal is the way she connects with people. She is incredibly warm, approachable and compassionate, and has a lovely way of making patients and their families feel comfortable and heard. Working in a hospital can be a really challenging and overwhelming experience for patients and their families, and having someone like Krystal who is so calm, understanding and reassuring makes such a difference.
I have also had the opportunity to see Krystal work with children in kindy and school settings, and she is just wonderful with them. She is so patient, gentle and engaging, and has a natural ability to connect with children. She takes the time to understand each child as an individual and adapts the way she works to suit their needs. It is lovely to see how comfortable the kids are around her.
Whether she is working with adults or children, Krystal genuinely cares about the people she works with. She is knowledgeable, professional and dedicated, but it is her kindness and the genuine care she puts into her work that really stand out to me.
I would absolutely recommend Krystal to anyone looking for a Speech-Language Therapist. She is highly experienced and skilled, but more importantly, she is someone who genuinely listens, cares and wants the best for her clients.
Lyka Diane Marayag
Nurse at the Oamaru Hospital -
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Anyone who meets Krystal can quickly see how kind, genuine, patient and caring she is.
She has a calm, reassuring nature and always takes the time to build meaningful relationships with the people around her. She is approachable, hardworking, professional, and always goes the extra mile to support others. Her warmth, dedication, and genuine passion for helping others shines through in everything she does. I know Krystal will make a positive difference in the lives of the children and families she supports.
Sophie Halkett
ECE Teacher at Montessori Oamaru -
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Krystal has been also one of my emotional refuge whenever I feel down, there is always an extra hand to lift me up.
Lookin’ back to the days where I can consider the situation of my newly diagnosed son (Autism level 3, non verbal) those were the hardest and most painful stages in my life as a Mom, not to mention that it was pandemic era, where anxiety and stress is really hitting me hard but will be forever thankful and grateful to God for giving us such a wonderful, kind, extra supportive and ever patient teacher to my Baste! (not to mention, super pretty inside out)
She has been very patient and extra loving to my Baste. Now, my child is really doing good. He is in Grade 3 regular school, verbal, and independent. Thank you so much Teacher K!
Carissa & Baste Sagucio
Client -
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We are incredibly blessed to have found Teacher Krystal when our daughter started speech therapy at just two years and seven months old.
Her immense patience and specialized expertise played a massive role in our child's autism diagnosis being reversed by age three and a half. Now, at six and a half years old, our daughter continues to thrive because of Teacher Krystal's life-changing guidance.
What makes her truly exceptional is how she patiently went beyond standard therapy to ensure my child could enjoy normal childhood experiences. Thanks to her dedicated support, my daughter was fully able to participate in beautiful moments that special needs children often miss out on, like joyful Christmas caroling.
Teacher Krystal has a rare gift for unlocking communication skills while making every single session feel safe, engaging, and fun. The breakthroughs we witnessed within just weeks of starting were nothing short of amazing, and the long-term impact on our lives is profound. She also constantly empowers parents, providing the exact tools needed to foster continuous growth and confidence at home.
Families in New Zealand will be incredibly fortunate to experience her care as she plans to bring her brilliant techniques and compassionate heart to a new therapy center there. For anyone seeking a deeply loving, highly effective therapist who achieves extraordinary, life-altering results, we cannot recommend Teacher Krystal enough
Concon & Carys Alfonso
Client -
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When Pepper started therapy, she was nonverbal, and through Teacher Krystal’s patience, dedication, and hands-on approach, Pepper gradually learned to communicate verbally.
We are very grateful to Teacher Krystal for being Pepper’s speech-language pathologist from September 2022 to January 2024.
Teacher Krystal also taught her important skills such as tabletop activities and pretend play. She was always thoughtful, patient, and attentive, and she built a very good relationship not only with Pepper but also with us as parents.
We especially appreciated how clearly she explained Pepper’s progress, the activities we needed to do at home, and the techniques we could use to support her development. Her guidance helped us become more involved and confident in helping Pepper improve.
We feel very lucky and thankful to have had Teacher Krystal as Pepper’s therapist. She made a meaningful difference in Pepper’s life and in our family.
Joanne & Pepper Manalastas
Client -
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The detailed reports and regular updates were especially helpful, as they clearly showed the progress being made and what areas still needed attention.
We had an excellent experience with Krystal. The flexibility with scheduling made it much easier to maintain consistent sessions alongside our other commitments.
Over the course of two years, we saw a huge improvement in communication skills and confidence. Krystal was patient, professional, and genuinely committed to achieving the best outcome.
After two years of therapy, we are very happy to say that the goals were achieved and therapy was successfully completed. We are extremely grateful for the support, guidance, and dedication throughout the journey. Highly recommended!
Jaem & Kidlat Balmes
Client -
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I have got to know Krystal in the capacity of both a parent and professional over the past 3 years. Her warmth and friendly personality shines through in the way that she communicates with children and families.
When Krystal works at our Montessori Centre she brings her knowledge of children’s language development and associated skills into our Centre, supporting children’s oral language in a practical and real way!
Rebecca Koberstein
Centre Manager, Montessori Oamaru
