LAMP Words for Life: A revolutionary AAC system

ByLondon Speech and Feeding
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Introduction

When working with non-speaking or minimally speaking children the LAMP Words for Life AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) system is my absolute go-to every time. For me it stands out as a revolutionary system that has transformed the lives of many of my non-speaking students. LAMP Words for Life is a ROBUST, comprehensive language-based AAC system and it is designed to help any user to express their thoughts, feelings, and needs effectively, thereby achieving maximal independence in their daily life. A winner!

There is a whole host of AAC apps and systems out there and each has their own advantages and benefits for sure. I have tried a good number of other systems. I do also like certain features of other AAC systems for sure. For example GRID: I love the versatility of GRID and the ease of editing the system is fantastic.

Why I think it works so well

However, strangely I always return to LAMP when push comes to shove. I have thought very carefully about it and so here are my thoughts on why this is and why it works so well:

  1. Intuitive interface: LAMP Words for Life features are for me really user-friendly and it is easy to navigate and understand (this is very important for non-techy people). I think it makes sense and it is accessible to users of all ages and abilities. Yes the pictures are a little bit different to other symbol systems we use, especially here in the UK to be sure, and this is one of the reasons why it is good to have a variety of systems available, so that we can cater for students who are used to other symbols or do very well with specific symbol core boards. I have learned though that the pictures are not that important when using LAMP because the entire system is based on MOTOR PLANNING. And once one knows the motor plan to find a picture it is in our brain and we do not look at the picture any more. So, the motor plan to find a word is much more important when using LAMP than worrying about what the picture looks like.
  2. Comprehensive vocabulary: The system offers a vast vocabulary of words and phrases, covering a wide range of topics and contexts. This enables users to express themselves effectively on a variety of subjects. That said, almost every time I use LAMP there is a little word I need and it’s not on there. But that’s not a problem: for example, I was looking for ‘sunglasses’ the other day. Sure, there is ‘sun’ and ‘glasses’ but that would be two separate motor plans and for my student that would be too many for now, so it was very easy to quickly add the new word ‘sunglasses’ under ‘accessories’ or ‘beach wear’ — I added it within less than one minute. Likewise, there are a ton of words which cater for the US market, and I tend to change them to fit the UK vocabulary like ‘nappy’ for ‘diaper’. Or I delete them entirely if I feel my child will never need to use a certain word like ‘conference’ or ‘nun’. PS: should they get to a point of using the system as an adult independently then these words can surely be added again, or if my student ever moves to the US then the words can be changed back to US terms again without any problem.
  3. Grammar support: LAMP provides built-in grammar support, helping users construct grammatically correct sentences. This can be particularly beneficial for individuals with language processing difficulties. But what I love about the way LAMP is organised here is that, in contrast with other systems I have used, it does not PREDICT what you want to say, it lets the user decide and find the right grammatical structure. I appreciate this because, just like I hate my phone or email offering predictive text or offer corrections to my words, I really do not get the systems that offer automatically a grammar change which mostly I don’t want. Where that is the case, I am often confused and hindered in finding the correct wording. I love the simplicity of LAMP and at the same the complexity that can be achieved gradually with practice. LAMP is fully designed to enable a user to build up not only vocabulary but a full language system. On a course recently I was able to hear adult LAMP users speaking to the audience in full and quick grammatically well-rounded sentences on a host of topics.
  4. Customisation: LAMP can be customised to meet the individual needs of each user. This includes options for adjusting the vocabulary, layout, and accessibility features. It is not as easy to edit as GRID I will say and that can cause me a little bit of frustration at times, but on balance I still vastly prefer the system as a whole. It can also be customised quite well for Gestalt Language Processors. It takes a little bit of practice and thinking about how best to do this but I have found a way that works well which I demonstrate in the short video clip.
  5. Community support: LAMP Words for Life has a thriving community of users on Facebook and this is so valuable and inspiring. Therapists and families of LAMP users alike share experiences, provide resources, and offer encouragement. This can be a valuable source of support for both users and their families.
  6. Comprehensive support: LAMP Words for Life offers quick and thorough support services, including training, resources, and ongoing assistance. This is invaluable and reassuring for both users and caregivers.
  7. Research-based: The development of LAMP Words for Life is based on extensive research and evidence-based practices. This ensures that the system is grounded in sound scientific principles.

Conclusion

To conclude LAMP Words for Life is a powerful AAC which provides us with a means of effective communication, language development, and social interaction. Whether you are a parent of a non-speaking child or a speech therapist looking for innovative AAC solutions, LAMP Words for Life is worth exploring.

Example on how to use AAC at story time

Feel free to contact me if you need help with your child.

Sonja McGeachie

Early Intervention Speech and Language Therapist

Feeding and Dysphagia (Swallowing) Specialist The London Speech and Feeding Practice

The London Speech and Feeding Practice

Find a speech and language therapist for your child in London. Are you concerned about your child’s speech, feeding or communication skills and don’t know where to turn? Please contact me and we can discuss how I can help you or visit my services page.

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    If there is a delay or a disorder any number of other reasons could have caused it, such as:

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    • or sometimes other genetic factors.

    So, to say that the difficulty is due to a child being exposed to several languages is a red herring. (no offence to herrings!)

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    Happy Islamic family sitting on the floor
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    Speak your home language at home

    Many parents report that they worry about speaking their home language at home and instead they have been focusing on just speaking English at home. They now rarely use their home language with their child. They fear that speaking a language other than English with their child will cause further delay and hinder their progress. All parents want the best for their child and often parents fear that their child won’t fit in or will be seen as ‘different’. So we can understand why parents feel that the English language is the only one worth having.

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    Speak freely and naturally

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    Speech therapy can be a crucial resource for bilingual or multilingual children and their families.

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    Imitation or copying starts in early infancy. When we observe a young baby and his parent or familiar adult we can see clearly and frequently that the baby will be intently looking at adult’s face and try to copy their facial expressions, smiles and all those funny baby sounds we often make with young babies.

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    Why pretend play is the perfect therapy vehicle for children with dyspraxia

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    Picture this. A small dinosaur is stomping across a wooden floor. A tiny teacup is being filled with imaginary juice. Someone, probably you, has just been told very firmly that you are the baby and you must go to sleep now.

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    First, a quick reminder: what is dyspraxia?

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    A child with CAS knows what they want to say. The message is there. But somewhere between the intention and the execution, the plan breaks down. Words come out differently each time, or not at all. It is effortful, unpredictable, and for many children, deeply frustrating.

    What this means for therapy is important: CAS requires motor learning, not just language stimulation. And motor learning has very specific conditions under which it thrives.

    Repetition is the medicine and pretend play delivers it without the child noticing

    One of the most well-established principles of motor learning is that new movement patterns need to be practised many, many times before they become reliable. Think of learning to ride a bike, or to touch-type. Repetition is how the motor system builds consistency.

    For speech, this means a child needs many opportunities to attempt a target word or phrase within a single session. In a formal drilling exercise, this quickly becomes tedious and dysregulating, especially for young children. After five attempts at ‘go’, most three-year-olds have mentally left the building.

    But inside a pretend play scenario? The word ‘go’ appears naturally and meaningfully dozens of times. The car goes. The train goes. Ready, steady, go. Go to sleep. Go there doggie. Every repetition is embedded in a moment that makes sense to the child, which means they are motivated to keep going, and the practice is accumulating without any sense of effort or demand.

    A relaxed brain learns better

    There is a reason I tend not to sit a dyspraxic child at a table with flashcards and ask them to repeat after me. It is not because I lack structure. Every session I run has clear targets and intentional design. It is because we know that anxiety and pressure actively interfere with motor learning.

    When a child feels observed, corrected, or under pressure to perform, the cognitive load increases and the very motor planning system we are trying to support becomes less accessible. The errors increase. The frustration escalates. The session unravels.

    Pretend play, by contrast, creates a state of engaged, relaxed absorption. The child is leading. They are safe. They are having fun. In this state, the brain is far more receptive to new motor patterns being laid down. I am not asking the child to perform speech. I am simply being present, following their lead, and slipping in carefully chosen models at exactly the right moments.

    Child-led play gives us the child’s own words to target

    Another reason pretend play works so beautifully for children with dyspraxia is that it tells us exactly which words matter most to this particular child, right now, today. When a child reaches for the toy telephone and hands it to me with enormous expectation, I know that ‘hello’ is a word worth targeting in this moment. When they are clearly trying to tell me that the baby needs feeding, ‘more’ and ‘eat’ have instant, genuine relevance.

    Targeting words a child is already motivated to say means the communication attempt is coming from them. And a self-initiated attempt, even an approximation, is neurologically far more valuable than a prompted imitation.

    What this looks like in practice

    In the short video clip below you can see this dynamic in action. Notice how the session looks relaxed and playful on the surface. The child is absorbed in the pretend play scenario we have created together.

    Notice, though, what is happening underneath:

    • the consistent, gentle modelling of target words
    • the use of Makaton signs alongside speech to provide an additional sensory pathway
    • the visual mouth cues that give the child a roadmap for how a sound is shaped
    • and running through all of it, the repetition. The same words, again and again, wrapped in play.

    This is not therapy disguised as play. It is therapy that is play, because for a child with dyspraxia, those two things are not in opposition. They are, in fact, perfectly aligned.

    If you are concerned about your child’s speech and wondering whether verbal dyspraxia might be a factor, please do not hesitate to get in touch. I would love to help you find some answers.

    Sonja McGeachie

    Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist

    Owner of The London Speech and Feeding Practice.

    Health Professions Council registered
    Royal College of Speech & Language Therapists Member
    Member of ASLTIP

    Find a speech and language therapist for your child in London. Are you concerned about your child’s speech, feeding or communication skills and don’t know where to turn? Please contact me and we can discuss how I can help you or visit my services page.

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    The joy of container play: Exploring play development and understanding of how things work

    ByLondon Speech and Feeding
    The joy of container play
    Designed by Freepik

    Have you heard the term ‘Container play’? I use this very often with children in my sessions as it is so versatile and an enjoyable activity that can be done in parallel with a child or together. Container play is a powerful tool for fostering development in young children, especially those with developmental delays. This seemingly mundane activity provides a rich environment for sensory exploration, motor skill development, and cognitive growth.

    What is container play?

    Container play involves children interacting with various containers—boxes, buckets, bowls, cups, various bags, etc.—and filling, emptying, and transferring objects within and between them. Objects can include literally anything: small beads, bead chains, table tennis balls, wooden pegs, dinosaurs or any other little person toy, blocks of varying sizes, sand, water, or any other safe material. Larger containers obviously take larger items: socks, stuffed animals, bigger balls, bigger blocks etc really the choices are endless.

    Benefits for children with developmental delays:

    Sensory exploration:

    • Touch: Children explore different textures and temperatures of containers and objects.
    • Sight: They observe how objects look inside and outside the containers, how light reflects off them, and how colours change.
    • Sound: They listen to the sounds of objects clinking, rattling, and splashing.
    • Proprioception: Filling and emptying containers helps develop body awareness and spatial awareness.

    For neurodivergent children who might have sensory regulation difficulties, consider the following adaptions to accommodate your child’s sensory needs:

    • Over-stimulation: For children who are easily overstimulated, start with simple setups using a limited number of containers and objects. Gradually increase the complexity as they tolerate it.
    • Under-stimulation: For children who seek sensory input, provide a variety of textures and materials, such as sand, water, slime, or beans.
    • Temperature: Offer a variety of temperature options. Some children may enjoy warm water or cool sand.
    • Lighting: Adjust the lighting to create a calming or stimulating environment.
    • Focus on one sense at a time: Initially, focus on one sensory aspect, such as the feel of sand or the sound of water.
    • Weighted containers: Use heavy containers filled with rice or beans to provide deep pressure input.
    • Fidget toys: Incorporate fidget toys into the activity to provide sensory input and help with self-regulation.
    • Tactile exploration: Encourage exploration of different textures using objects with varying surfaces.

    Fine motor skill development:

    • Hand-eye coordination: Scooping, pouring, and transferring objects require precise hand-eye coordination.
    • Pincer grasp: Picking up small objects helps develop fine motor skills like the pincer grasp.
    • Strength and dexterity: Manipulating containers and objects strengthens hand muscles and improves dexterity. Opening and closing containers can be a huge area of interest; how does the top screw back on, or off?

    Cognitive development:

    • Cause and effect: Children learn that their actions (e.g., pouring water or sand) have consequences (e.g., the water spills).
    • Spatial awareness: They develop an understanding of concepts like inside, outside, full, empty, and over/under; also how big is the vessel and how much goes in before it’s full or spills over. How small is the vessel opening and what do I need to do to get the beads into the container.
    • Problem-solving: Children learn to solve problems, such as how to get an object out of a narrow container or how to transfer water without spilling.

    Social and emotional development:

    • Communication: Container play can encourage communication as children interact with others, sharing toys and commenting on their actions. Asking for help to open and close a container is often a great opportunity to practise ‘help me’ or ‘open it’
    • Turn-taking: Sharing containers and materials helps children learn to take turns and cooperate.
    • Sensory regulation: For children with sensory sensitivities, container play can be a calming and self-regulating activity.

    Tips for engaging children in container play:

    • Create a safe and inviting environment. A shower curtain on the floor makes things easier for tidy up afterwards. And it allows for spillages.
    • Provide a variety of containers: Use different sizes, shapes, and materials. Use containers that are visually interesting and pleasing, perhaps a festive biscuit tin, or a tin that looks like train engine. Use see-through containers at first which make the filling and emptying more obvious. This is important for children who have no previous experience with this type of play and need to ‘warm up’ to it. Once a child loves and is used to container play you can go wild with all types of containers.
    • Offer a variety of objects: Include balls, blocks, sand, water, and other age-appropriate materials.
    • Join in the fun! Start off the process, show your child what the joy of the activity is for yourself, how fun it is to fill and empty containers, provide enough containers for your child to start playing alongside you, and comment on their actions.
    • Follow your child’s lead: Allow them to explore and experiment at their own pace.
    • Adapt activities: Adjust the level of challenge based on your child’s abilities and interests.

    Container play is a simple yet powerful tool that can support the overall development of young children, especially those with developmental delays. By providing a rich and engaging sensory experience, container play can help children build essential skills in motor, cognitive, social, and emotional domains.

    If you have any questions or would like to have more in-depths demonstration of this or other play styles for your child please contact me.

    I look forward to hearing from you.

    Sonja McGeachie

    Early Intervention Speech and Language Therapist

    Feeding and Dysphagia (Swallowing) Specialist The London Speech and Feeding Practice

    The London Speech and Feeding Practice

    Find a speech and language therapist for your child in London. Are you concerned about your child’s speech, feeding or communication skills and don’t know where to turn? Please contact me and we can discuss how I can help you or visit my services page.

    1