Many families are using the AAC apps Proloquo2Go and LAMP Words for Life to communicate effectively with their children. Many autistic individuals have one of these tools as a communication device. It might be difficult to choose from Proloquo2Go and LAMP Words for Life. Price, motor skill features, and device compatibility vary per model (like android tablets vs iPads). Many families prefer Proloquo2Go because of its many customizable features, whilst others prefer LAMP Words for Life because they want to include members of their care team in the process of language learning. It might be tough to figure out which app is the greatest fit for communicating. Keep reading to find out how both applications differ in terms of vocabulary levels, parent onboarding, customer support, and more.
LAMP Words For Life |
Proloquo2Go |
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| Good for Early Communication |
LAMP Word for Life is great if you want your user to only have to tap ONE time on the screen, but for younger users, the small symbol size and overwhelming vocabulary makes it difficult to start slow.
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The Proloquo2Go app has a complex system that can be overwhelming for new and/or young AAC users.
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| Affordable Pricing |
The app is $299.99 and only available on iPad. No trial version. You must go through a third party source for hardware, adding to the cost.
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Price: $249.99. There is no free trial. Proloquo2Go provides little ability to see if the AAC talker app is a good fit before having to invest. It also does not include any option for dedicated hardware.
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| Easy to Get Started |
Very little guidance offered to new users. Support is only offered if a Support Plan is purchased.
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Estimated time of Proloquo2Go's basic set up is 3 or more hours. Proloquo does not expect parents to succeed unless they watch several hour long videos, read multiple blog articles, and review information in numerous links.
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| Behavior Supports |
No behavior support included.
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There are no behavior supports included, leaving mom and dad to seek such tools elsewhere.
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| Multiple Device Options |
The app is ONLY available on iPad (not even iPhones). Expensive dedicated devices can be bought through other companies.
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The Proloquo app only works on IOS devices and does not offer a dedicated device for their app. This can be costly for users who have to buy expensive hardware just to use the app.
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| Easy Parent Modeling |
WordFinder™ gives users and caregivers the option of both viewing and touching the button sequence to practice the movement for motor planning.
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While there is a search option on the user's proloquo app that walks through the navigational path, Pprents are left high and dry to learn where all the symbols are for themselves to effectively model it.
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| Incentives to Practice |
While there are no supporting features like token boards to incentivize practice, LAMP Words for Life does allow users to use the app during FaceTime calls and to share messages to social media. This does make practicing AAC a bit more fun!
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There is nothing included to encourage users to practice their talker, which is important for actually developing language skills.
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| Natural Voices and Language Availability |
Offered in Spanish, English, and Hebrew. 35+ voice options are available.
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Proloquo offers natural voices in dozens of languages and accents. Yet, the voices are much less natural-sounding than many other AAC talkers.
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| Customer Support |
Requires customers to purchase tier 1 or tier 2 support plans to be helped in a reasonable time frame.
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Only offers support via email and FAQ articles. Proloquo2Go does not give their customers live support.
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| Motor Planning |
Yes. Lamp Words for Life aac app is heavily focused on language acquisition through motor planning and muscle memory patterns. Words do not move on the screen, and there is no scrolling.
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Yes- and no. Although they have predictable word positions, Proloque allows users to move buttons around. This makes it hard for kids to remember where words are.
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| Simplicity of the Screen |
LAMP Words for Life has one the most complex and overwhelming screens because users are not able to scroll or tap into folders. All words are laid out on the home screen. Once programmed, their placement will not change.
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Proloquo's extreme customization can make the talker complicated very quickly. The screen gets scrunched and buttons are often hard to find.
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| Safety and 9-1-1 Calling features |
Little functionality to help kids out of stressful situation. Communication via the talker is its only function.
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Outside of using the talker to communicate that they are in trouble, Proloquo2Go offers no way to ensure your child’s safety.
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| Affordable Dedicated Device Option |
All dedicated devices must be bought outside of the company and mostly thousands of dollars.
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Proloquo2Go is only an app with no device included. The only way to get Proloquo2Go on a distraction-free device is to go through another company and pay for both services.
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| Communication With Spelling |
Offers "spell mode" so users can type out words.
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Proloquo allows users to type out unique words, a feature created mainly for older, more advanced AAC users.
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| Reminders to Practice |
There are no integrated reminders to practice language and communication via the Words For Life app.
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No visual schedule features included. Remembering to practice AAC is solely on caregivers’ shoulders.
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| Image and Symbol Quality |
Uses Minspeak symbols that don't often actually match the word it is supposed to represent. This is confusing for most users. The symbols also represent multiple words.
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Uses SymbolStix, a library of symbols that revolve around stick people that mostly have no gender, age, etc. While simple, many symbols lack context and are not very clear. They are also not open source.
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| Fun Games to Build Skills |
LAMP Words for Life does not include any external or accompanying games that help AAC users improve their finger dexterity.
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There are no games or strategies to improve finger dexterity included in Proloquo2Go's aac app.
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| Levels of Vocabulary |
The vocabulary responds to PECS or a more traditional AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication).
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Proloquo2Go uses Crescendo vocabulary, which offers three pre-programmed levels: Basic, Intermediate Core and Advanced Core levels. However, the preprogrammed levels are complicated to navigate and understand.
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| Care Team Access |
Very little functionality built out to include care team members like therapists and teachers in the language learning journey.
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There is no ability to share beyond the apple ID of the user. Teachers, other parents, therapists, etc. can not have direct access if they do not share the apple ID of the account.
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Discover why Goally’s AAC talker app is empowering people to find their voice faster and more effectively than Proloquo2Go or LAMP Words for Life.
Goally's language learning apps are just $12 a month. If it does not work for your family, you can cancel at any time.
