What is LAMP?

LAMP stands for Language Acquisition through Motor Planning and is "a therapeutic approach based on neurological and motor learning principles. The goal is to give individuals who are nonverbal, or have limited verbal abilities, a method of independently and spontaneously expressing themselves in any setting through a speech generating device." LAMP is an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) program available for children and adults who have severe speech and language impairments. When people are unable to communicate, it greatly affects their quality of life, education and ability to develop social relationships. AAC is a great option for nonverbal individuals to effectively communicate by expressing their wants, needs, likes and dislikes.

Tomorrow, Andrea and I are very excited to attend LAMP's training workshop so we can further develop these skills to effectively work with our clients using AAC devices. There are some important components of LAMP that I would like to review with you.

- Readiness to Learn: Individuals with developmental disabilities, specifically those with autism spectrum disorder, may have difficulty achieving and sustaining a state of readiness to learn. Engaging in natural, motivating activities and following a child's interests will help maintain their engagement and ability to effectively learn.

-Joint Engagements: It is important to engage in child directed intervention that is natural and enjoyable. Once the individual using the AAC realizes the power of communication, their communication partner will generally experience increased joint attention and engagement.

- Consistent and Unique Motor Plans: Our brain develops motor plans to control movements we use often so they can occur automatically. For example, motor plans allow for verbal communicators to concentrate on the thoughts they want to express rather than the sounds in words. This same principle applies for LAMP except the nonverbal communicator's finger will act as their articulator.

- Auditory Signals: Motor plans are carried out based on the feedback received. For LAMP, each motor plan is paired with an auditory output.

For more information on LAMP, you can visit the website listed below.