LAMP Words for Life vs Proloquo2Go

The short answer: LAMP Words for Life ($299.99 one-time, from PRC-Saltillo) is the better choice if your SLP is trained in the LAMP approach and strict motor-planning consistency is the priority for your child. Proloquo2Go ($249.99 one-time, from AssistiveWare) is the better choice if you want a more flexible core-word system that adjusts grid sizes and vocabulary levels as your child grows, more voices (including children's voices), or any language besides English. Both are respected, research-informed, word-based AAC apps — the real question is which methodology your child's team will actually implement well.

	LAMP Words for Life	Proloquo2Go
Price	$299.99 one-time (30-day trial via Discover app)	$249.99 one-time (no trial)
Platforms	iPad; PRC-Saltillo dedicated devices (LAMP WFL language system)	iPad, iPhone (Apple only)
Languages	English only	English, Spanish, French, Dutch — with strong bilingual support
Voices	Standard synthetic voices	100+ voices, including genuine children's voices and bilingual voices
Philosophy	Strict motor planning — every word in a fixed position, forever	Crescendo core words — flexible grid sizes with consistent motor planning within each size
Grid	Full 84-location grid from day one (words hidden/revealed, never moved)	Adjustable grid sizes and vocabulary levels that grow with the child
Access methods	Touch, switch scanning	Touch, switch scanning
Learning curve	Steep — works best with a LAMP-trained SLP guiding the process	Steep — extensive options, best set up with an SLP
Support & training	Formal LAMP training courses for professionals and families	AssistiveWare's well-regarded free learning resources and webinars

Two serious philosophies

LAMP (Language Acquisition through Motor Planning) is built on one uncompromising idea: every word lives in exactly the same place forever, so a child's hands learn the path to each word the way ours learn to type. The full grid is present from day one; vocabulary is revealed, never rearranged. It was developed with autistic learners in mind and has a dedicated research base and training pipeline — and it genuinely works best when an SLP trained in the LAMP approach guides the process.

Proloquo2Go's Crescendo vocabulary takes a more flexible road: core words with consistent placement within each grid size, but adjustable grid sizes and vocabulary levels so the app can start small and grow. It adds real grammar support — verb tenses, plurals — as sentences get longer. It asks less methodological commitment from the adults around the child.

Price and trying before you buy

The prices are close: $299.99 for LAMP, $249.99 for Proloquo2Go, both one-time. The practical difference is the trial: LAMP offers 30 days free through the PRC-Saltillo Discover app, while Proloquo2Go has no trial or lite version. If you're torn, trying LAMP first costs nothing.

Voices and languages

Proloquo2Go wins here without contest. LAMP Words for Life is English-only with standard synthetic voices. Proloquo2Go offers 100+ voices — including genuine children's voices — and supports English, Spanish, French, and Dutch with strong bilingual features. If your family speaks anything other than English at home, LAMP is simply not an option.

Who should choose which

Choose LAMP Words for Life if your SLP is LAMP-trained and recommends it for your child, motor-planning consistency is the top priority, English is your family's language, and you value the option of continuity onto a PRC-Saltillo dedicated device.

Choose Proloquo2Go if you want a flexible system that grows with your child, children's voices or bilingual support matter, your team isn't LAMP-trained, or you need Spanish, French, or Dutch.

A third option worth knowing: Tala

LAMP and Proloquo2Go both assume word-by-word language building guided by professionals. Many children thrive that way — but many autistic children are gestalt language processors who acquire language in whole chunks ("Can I have a hug") before single words, and many families start AAC with no LAMP-trained SLP, no $250–$300 budget, and no English at home.

Tala was built for exactly those families: 10 ready-made boards of whole-phrase cards, one natural, human-sounding voice per language across 29 languages, offline audio, and a 90-second setup a parent does alone. It's free to start — you only pay ($9.99/month) past the free custom-content allowance, and it's free forever for SLPs and teachers.

We've written honest comparisons against both apps: see Tala vs. LAMP Words for Life and Tala vs. Proloquo2Go. And where LAMP or Proloquo2Go is genuinely the better fit — trained-team motor planning, word-by-word sentence building — we say so.

The best AAC app is the one your child will actually use every day.

Frequently asked questions

Which is more expensive, LAMP Words for Life or Proloquo2Go?

LAMP Words for Life costs $299.99 and Proloquo2Go costs $249.99 — both one-time purchases on the App Store. LAMP offers a 30-day trial through the PRC-Saltillo Discover app; Proloquo2Go has no trial.

What is the difference between LAMP and Proloquo2Go?

Philosophy. LAMP (Language Acquisition through Motor Planning) keeps every word in a fixed position forever, so children learn word locations through muscle memory — it works best with a LAMP-trained SLP. Proloquo2Go uses the Crescendo core-word vocabulary with adjustable grid sizes, vocabulary levels, and grammar support that grows with the child.

Is LAMP Words for Life better for autism than Proloquo2Go?

LAMP was developed specifically with autistic learners in mind and has research behind its motor-planning approach, but Proloquo2Go is also widely and successfully used by autistic children. Neither is universally better — it depends on the child and the team. Note that many autistic children are gestalt language processors who learn in whole phrases, a style neither app is designed around.

Does LAMP Words for Life support languages other than English?

No — LAMP Words for Life is English-only. Proloquo2Go supports English, Spanish, French, and Dutch with strong bilingual features. For any other home language, you would need a different app: Tala, for example, covers 29 languages with a natural voice in each.

Is there a cheaper alternative to LAMP and Proloquo2Go?

Yes. Tala is free to start — default communication boards, natural voices in 29 languages, and offline audio cost nothing. You only pay $9.99/month past the free custom-content allowance, and it is free forever for speech-language pathologists and teachers.